CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu distributed Rs 17.85 crore to 419 Himachal athletes for national and international success. He also announced the Khelo Himachal Campaign to promote sports and combat drug abuse across the state.
Himachal Pradesh Honours Sporting Excellence
Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday honoured sportspersons who have brought laurels to Himachal Pradesh through their outstanding performances at national and international sporting events with the Him Ratna-2026 Awards at a state-level function held here on October 31. He presented cheques amounting to Rs 17.85 crore to 419 outstanding sportspersons of the state. Of the awardees, 51 were recognised for their achievements in international competitions, while 368 were honoured for their outstanding performances at the national level. Cheques worth Rs 13.55 crore were presented to international-level sportspersons and Rs 4.30 crore to national-level players
The Chief Minister presented a cheque of Rs 2.50 crore to athlete Sawan Barwal for winning a silver medal in the men's marathon at the Asian Games-2026 held in Japan. Athlete Seema Kumari received a cheque of Rs 1.50 crore for winning a bronze medal in the 10,000-metre race. India also won the gold medal in women's kabaddi at the competition. Four players from Himachal Pradesh-Ritu Negi, Pushpa Rana, Jyoti Thakur and Bhawna Thakur were part of the Indian team. Each of them was presented with a cheque of Rs one crore. He also presented a cheque of Rs one crore to state cricketer Renuka Thakur.
Government Support and Policy Enhancements
Congratulating all the medal winners, the Chief Minister said their success was the result of years of hard work, guidance from their coaches and the sacrifices made by their parents. He said sports were an important part of education as they helped young people develop discipline, self-confidence and leadership qualities. He said the state government had significantly increased the award money to encourage sportspersons and recognise their achievements. The award money for gold medal winners at the Olympic Games, Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games has been increased from Rs 3 crore to Rs 5 crore. Silver medal winners will now receive Rs 3 crore instead of Rs 2 crore, while the award for bronze medal winners has been increased from Rs 1 crore to Rs 2 crore.
Similarly, the award money for gold medal winners at the Asian Games and Para Asian Games has been increased from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 4 crore. Silver medal winners will now receive Rs 2.50 crore instead of Rs 30 lakh, while bronze medal winners will receive Rs 1.50 crore instead of Rs 20 lakh. The Chief Minister said that every player winning a medal in a team event would also receive at least 25 percent of the total award money. The State Cabinet has approved this provision. He also announced an incentive of Rs 3 lakh each for national-level coaches and international referees. He said coaches and referees played an important role in the success of sportspersons and teams.
Employment and Grassroots Initiatives
The Chief Minister further said that the state government had created government posts in the Youth, Service and Sports Department to provide employment opportunities to sportspersons. This would encourage sporting talent and also help secure the future of players. He said that the state government would launch the 'Khelo Himachal Campaign' in Dharamshala from 20 November to make young people aware of the harmful effects of drug abuse, particularly the use of chitta. Cricket, volleyball and kabaddi competitions will be organised as part of the campaign. Young men and women between 15 and 30 years of age will be eligible to participate. The competitions will be held at sub-divisional, district and state levels. At the state level, the winning team will receive Rs 21 lakh, the second-placed team Rs 15 lakh and the third-placed team Rs 10 lakh. At the district level, the first, second and third-placed teams will receive Rs 2 lakh, Rs 1.5 lakh and Rs 1 lakh, respectively. On the occasion, the Chief Minister also launched the official website of the Khelo Himachal Campaign and unveiled its mascot.
Infrastructure Development
The Chief Minister said the state government was continuously working to improve sports facilities and strengthen sports infrastructure across Himachal Pradesh. He said that talent and hard work alone were not enough to achieve excellence in sports, players also needed access to world-class facilities. With this aim, a modern indoor stadium is being developed at Nadaun in Hamirpur district at an estimated cost of Rs 170 crore. The stadium is planned to provide international-standard facilities for around 14 sports, including swimming, badminton, volleyball, tennis, table tennis and boxing. He added that sports stadiums were also being constructed at various locations across the state, with adequate funds being provided for their development. These facilities would give sportspersons in both rural and urban areas better opportunities for training and practice.
On the occasion, Youth, Service and Sports Minister Yadvinder Goma said it was a proud day in the sporting history of Himachal Pradesh. He said the state government was honouring sportspersons who had brought recognition to the state through their achievements at national and international levels. He said that although Himachal Pradesh was a small state, its sportspersons had big dreams. The state government was committed to develop a strong sports system so that talented players could get better opportunities to succeed. The Youth, Service and Sports Department was making special efforts to identify talented players and provide them with the right platform. Despite limited resources, the state government was extending all possible support to sportspersons. Health Minister Dr. (Col.) Dhani Ram Shandil, Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh, former Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee president Pratibha Singh, Vice-Chairman of Sports Council Chhatar Singh Thakur, Chairman Kailash Federation Baldev Singh Thakur, Secretary Priyanka Basu Ingty, Director Youth, Service and Sports Shivam Pratap Singh and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion. (ANI)
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