Asian Games medal winners from Himachal to get ₹9 crore

Ritu Negi, Pushpa Rana, Jyoti Thakur and Bhawana Thakur, members of the gold medal-winning kabaddi team, will receive ₹1 crore each as prize money

The Himachal Pradesh government will honour sportspersons from the state with cash awards totalling ₹9.03 crore this month for winning medals at the 20th Asian Games, officials said on Sunday. A government spokesperson said Ritu Negi, Pushpa Rana, Jyoti Thakur and Bhawana Thakur, members of the gold medal-winning kabaddi team, will receive ₹1 crore each as prize money. Sawan Barwal, who won silver in the men’s marathon, will receive ₹2.50 crore, while Seema Kumari, who won a bronze medal in the 10,000-metre athletics event, will receive ₹1.50 crore.

Asian Games gold medalist kabaddi player Pushpa Rana and others had got a rousing welcome upon her arrival in Dharamshala on September 28. (PTI)

Renuka Thakur, a member of the gold medal-winning cricket team, will receive ₹1 crore. Takhelambam Inungambi, who competed in judo, will receive ₹3 lakh.

The spokesperson said the state cabinet recently approved amendments to the rules governing cash awards for medal winners at international sporting competitions.

Under the revised rules, cash prizes would be distributed equally among all eligible athletes from Himachal Pradesh who are part of a medal-winning national team. In such cases, each athlete may receive an amount equal to the prize money prescribed for an individual medal winner. Alternatively, the prize money may be distributed proportionately, with each athlete guaranteed at least 25% of the cash award prescribed for an individual medal winner.

The cabinet has also approved the creation of posts for district youth services and sports officers to be filled by sportspersons who win medals at the international level.