Chandigarh, October 20– The laurels brought by the Haryanvi players at the 19th Asian Games held in China were once again celebrated at the state level when a grand felicitation ceremony was today organized at Karnal, where both the medal-winning and the participating players not only received cash prizes from the Chief Minister but also got best wishes and boost for their future endeavours.
Besides like, in line with the state’s player-friendly sports policy, Sh. Manohar Lal also honoured the gold medal-winning athletes with a cash reward of Rs. 3 crore, the silver medalists with Rs. 1.5 crore, and bronze medalists with Rs. 75 lakh, along with commendation letters and job offer letters, to recognize their accomplishments. He congratulated all the athletes for their achievements and wished them success in future sports competitions.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister said that be it the Olympics, Paralympics or Khelo India, Haryanvi sportspersons with their Dhakad performances have always made the country and state proud.
The key highlight of this state-level felicitation ceremony held in Karnal was that the Chief Minister made several key announcements for the athletes including the establishment of shooting ranges in Nimana village in Jhajjar district and Sector 32 in Panchkula to promote shooting sports in the state, two archery centres to be established in Tejli Stadium in Yamunanagar district and District Sports Complex in Faridabad.
Government to formulate a policy to provide various sports equipment for local sports events organized in villages and towns
Furthermore, the Chief Minister also announced that the government would formulate a policy to provide various sports equipment for local sports events organized in villages and towns so that athletes can have access to the necessary equipment. He also announced that winners of smaller and local sports events, which are not included in the list of National Games, would receive cash awards, similar to those in mainstream sports, to encourage and promote such local sports.
CM inaugurates 10 Khelo India Centers in Haryana as part of the Khelo India Scheme
Before the felicitation ceremony, the Chief Minister inaugurated 10 Khelo India Centers in Haryana as part of the Khelo India Scheme, which are located in Ambala, Faridabad, Palwal, Yamunanagar, Jind, Jhajjar, Charkhi Dadri, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, and Bhiwani. These centres will raise the standards of sports infrastructure in Haryana.
“The approval has been granted for 15 Khelo India Centers for Haryana by the Central Ministry of Sports, with 10 centres inaugurated today and 5 more centres scheduled to be established next year in Hisar, Sirsa, Nuh, Sonipat, and Karnal,” shared Sh. Manohar Lal.
The Chief Minister also urged that the Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting and Youth Affairs & Sports, Sh. Anurag Singh Thakur, to approve the establishment of Khelo India Centers in the remaining 17 districts, ensuring that centres are opened in all 22 districts so that children can be prepared for Khelo India and other major competitions.
Dhakad Jawan (Soldier) Dhakad Kisan (Farmer) and Dhakad Pehalwan (Wrestler) are the pride of Haryana
While addressing the athletes and school students present, the Chief Minister said that Dhakad Jawan (Soldier) Dhakad Kisan (Farmer) and Dhakad Pehalwan (Wrestler) are the pride of Haryana. He said that today's event is not just about honour but also a program of pride and gratitude.
“We take pride in the fact that Haryana has made its mark in the world of sports. In National and International sports, Haryana's participation contributes to about 30-40 percent of the medals. Therefore, we are proud of our players,” said Sh. Manohar Lal.
The Chief Minister also expressed gratitude to the parents and coaches of the athletes who have supported them and provided the inspiration to move forward. He mentioned that in the 19th Asian Games, Haryana's nearly 80 athletes participated and won 30 medals, with a total of 44 medalists.
Sh. Manohar Lal urged the athletes to start their preparations now and get ready for the Olympics. He said that Haryana is at the top in India, but to achieve the top position in the world in terms of medals, more hard work is required. Just as Haryana has consistently contributed to sports, if other states also make their contributions, India will surely reach the top spot in the world.
Other states are also following Haryana's sports policies
The Chief Minister said that Haryana is number one in sports in India. From the Rio Olympics to the Asian Games, Haryana's athletes have consistently excelled. State lad Neeraj Chopra had brought home India's first gold medal in track and field. The state government is providing cash rewards and job opportunities to the Olympic gold medalists, and similar rewards are being given to Asian Games gold medalists, said Sh. Manohar Lal.
He said that the state government has made several improvements in sports policies, including setting up 1100 nurseries to encourage a sports culture from childhood, where children are trained according to their interests and abilities.
Haryana has surpassed other states in the field of sports, and for this, Chief Minister Manohar Lal deserves praise, Anurag Thakur
Addressing the players and gathering during the ceremony, Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting and Youth Affairs & Sports, Sh. Anurag Singh Thakur said that the Central government, under the leadership of Prime Minister, Sh. Narendra Modi has provided facilities to athletes without leaving any stone unturned. Similarly, under Chief Minister, Sh. Manohar Lal's leadership, the Haryana government has given cash rewards totalling more than Rs. 300 crore to athletes and provided jobs to nearly 225 players. This shows that Haryana has excelled in comparison to other states, and for this, the Chief Minister and his team deserve congratulations, said Sh. Anurag Singh Thakur.
He expressed his best wishes to Haryana for the approval of 15 Khelo India centres. In these centres, former champion athletes will be appointed to train future athletes.
On this occasion, Energy Minister, Ch. Ranjit Singh also congratulated the players and expressed his gratitude to Chief Minister Lal for honouring the athletes.
MLAs, Sh. Harvinder Kalyan, Sh. Dharampal Gonder, Mayor, Smt. Renu Bala Gupta, Principal Secretary, Sports Department, Sh. Navdeep Singh Virk, Deputy Commissioner, Sh. Anish Yadav and other dignitaries were present on this occasion.