Haryana: CM Saini Honours 132 Athletes With Rs 189.38 Crore Cash Awards at Bhiwani, Rs 50 Crore for Bhim Stadium

Haryana’s athletes had a day to remember at Bhiwani on Friday, as Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini honoured 132 players who brought glory to the state and the country at the Asian Games and Para Asian Games. At a state-level felicitation ceremony held at Bhiwani’s Bhim Stadium, the Chief Minister handed over cash awards totalling Rs 189.38 crore to the athletes. Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Gaurav Gautam was also present at the ceremony, where participants in the competitions were felicitated along with the medal winners.

Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said a medal may rest around a player’s neck in a few moments, but winning it takes a lifetime of effort. He said he felt proud to stand among the stars who have raised Haryana’s name. At the Asian Games, India won 85 medals to finish fourth, with Haryana’s players contributing 32 medals including 14 gold. At the Para Asian Games, India recorded its best-ever performance with 114 medals, of which Haryana’s para athletes won 31 including 9 gold.

Under Haryana’s sports policy, a gold medallist receives Rs 3 crore, a silver medallist Rs 1.5 crore, a bronze medallist Rs 75 lakh, and a participant Rs 7.5 lakh in cash awards. The awards at Bhiwani were distributed on the same scale. The Chief Minister said that so far 17676 players in the state have received a total of Rs 931 crore in cash incentives, and eligible players are also being given government job offer letters under the sports policy.

The ceremony also brought another major announcement for Bhiwani. The Chief Minister announced Rs 50 crore for developing modern facilities at Bhim Stadium, which will give local players better training infrastructure and help the stadium host bigger events in future. He added that under Haryana’s outstanding sportsperson recruitment policy, 260 outstanding players have so far been given Group A, B and C government jobs.

The felicitation was aimed not only at rewarding the winners but also at inspiring young people to take up sports. During the ceremony, a Haryana-style kabaddi match between Haryana and Punjab teams also drew attention. The Chief Minister said Haryana’s players have become the sporting strength of the country and the government is committed to giving their talent both honour and facilities.