Chief Minister gave awards and prize money to the players
Chandigarh- Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann today honored 87 sportspersons with Maharaja Ranjit Singh Awards during an important sporting event in the history of the state. On this occasion, prize money of Rs 32.05 crore was awarded to 1,070 medal winners. The Chief Minister made several announcements for the development of sports, ranging from villages to the international level.
Describing Punjab as an emerging sports power, the Chief Minister said that the state government has given a reward of Rs 1 crore each to Olympic and Asian Games medal winners and has also given government jobs to 9 sportspersons. For the first time, financial assistance of Rs 8.61 crore has been given directly to the bank accounts of 220 players for their tournament preparation.
At the function organized in Sector-35, the Chief Minister announced a historic sports budget of Rs 1,763 crore for the year 2026-27. Along with this, it was also announced to develop 3,148 rural playgrounds at a cost of Rs 1,300 crore.
The Chief Minister said that Punjab will host the Asian Championship Trophy for the first time, which will see an exciting contest between India and Pakistan on November 1. Taking a dig at the previous governments, he said that Punjab has given birth to many champions, but never got the opportunity to host major sporting events.
“This day is historic for Punjab as 87 sportspersons have been honored with the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award,” the Chief Minister said. He also said that players have been given prize money worth Rs 32.05 crore.
Appreciating the achievements of the players, the Chief Minister said that it is his responsibility to stand firmly with the players and provide them the respect and support they deserve.
The Chief Minister further said that the Punjab Government has adopted a new model of providing financial assistance to the players to prepare for the competitions. He said that now the athletes are being provided assistance even before the tournament.
The Chief Minister also informed that the Punjab Government has settled the outstanding awards from 2019 to 2023 and honored the players for their achievements.
The Chief Minister said that earlier the sports associations in Punjab had political dominance, but now players are being given opportunities on the basis of merit.
The Chief Minister also said that the Punjab government has created a new ‘Outstanding Sportsperson’ cadre to provide employment opportunities to sportspersons.
Several prominent players were honored at the event, including Indian women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur and others.
The Chief Minister also thanked the families of the players and said that the dedication and support of parents plays an important role in making champions.
In the end, the Chief Minister said that the Punjab Government has increased the sports budget by 17 times and has adopted a new approach to felicitate the players.
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