Chandigarh, August 10: Punjab Sports and Youth Services Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi, on Tuesday, informed that the state government will honour Olympics medal winners and participating state players besides Gold medalist Neeraj Chopra with the cash awards worth Rs 32.67 in a special function to be held in Chandigarh on August 12.
In a press communiqué, Rana Sodhi said that Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh will honour the Olympic players, while Governor Mr. V.P. Singh Badnore would be the special guest on this occasion.
The Sports Minister said that the Chief Minister has also increased the cash award money for the Olympic medalists with a view to further promote sports in the state.
He informed that against the earlier announcement of Rs.2 crore, now the gold medal winner Javelin Thrower Neeraj Chopra, who has deep roots with Punjab, would be honoured with an increased amount of Rs.2.51 crore.
Rana Sodhi said that the cash award money for 11 state players, who were part of the Indian hockey team which brought laurels in Olympics by winning a medal (bronze) after 41 years of drought, has also been increased from Rs.1 crore each to Rs.2.51 crore each. Now the all state hockey players would be given Rs.2.51 crore each.
Notably, Indian hockey team led by Captain Manpreet Singh and Vice-Captain Harmanpreet Singh. Apart from them, Rupinder Pal Singh, Simranjit Singh, Mandeep Singh, Gurjant Singh, Shamsher Singh, Varun Kumar, Dilpreet Singh, Hardik Singh and Krishan Pathak were also from Punjab.
Fourth positioned Indian women hockey team members from state Reena Khokhar and Gurjit Kaur and Discus Thrower Kamalpreet Kaur, who remained on 6th position also amongst to be honoured with cash prize of Rs. 50 lakhs each.
Similarly, Boxer Simranjit Kaur, Shooter Anjum Moudgill and Angadveer Singh, athletes Tejinder Pal Singh Toor & Gurpreet Singh and Paralympic Badminton player Palak Kohli, would also be given Rs 21 lakh each.
