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 in an important sports function 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.
The Chief Minister described Punjab as an emerging sports power and said that the state government has given an amount of Rs 1 crore each to Olympic and Asian Games medal winners. Apart from this, 9 players have also been offered government jobs. 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 held in Sector-35, the Chief Minister announced a sports budget of Rs 1,763 crore for the year 2026-27 and development of 3,148 rural sports grounds at a cost of Rs 1,300 crore.
The Chief Minister said that Punjab will host the Asian Championship Trophy for the first time, in which an exciting match between India and Pakistan will be played on Punjab Day on November 1. He accused the previous governments of not giving Punjab the opportunity to host major sports events.
“This day is historic for Punjab as 87 sportspersons have been honored with the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award,” the Chief Minister said. He appreciated the achievements of the players and said that it is their responsibility to provide respect and support to the players.
The Chief Minister also informed that the Punjab Government has adopted a new model of providing financial assistance to the players in advance, which will help them in preparing for the competitions.
The Chief Minister said that the Punjab Government has settled the outstanding awards from 2019 to 2023 and honored the players on the basis of their performance.
The Chief Minister also thanked the families of the players and said that parental support is important for success in sports.
He also informed that the Punjab government has increased the sports budget by 17 times and distributed prize money of Rs 32.05 crore to the players.
The Chief Minister said that Punjab has made significant contribution to Indian sports and the state has produced many national and international players.
Several prominent players were honored at the event, including Indian women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur and others.
The Chief Minister said that the Punjab Government has created a new ‘Outstanding Sportsperson’ cadre to provide employment opportunities to the sportspersons.
He also said that Punjab has become the first state to establish a separate sports medicine cadre for sports science.
The Chief Minister said that the Punjab Government has transferred an amount of Rs 15 crore directly into the bank accounts of the players for the purchase of high-end sports equipment.
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