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Hockey players to be brand ambassadors for Punjab’s anti-drug crusade: CM
Eight players of the main team were awarded ₹1 crore while two reserve players were granted ₹15 lakh each.
Punjab players who were part of the bronze medal-winning Indian hockey men’s team at the Paris Olympics will be made brand ambassadors of the state’s anti-drug crusade, chief minister Bhagwant Mann said during a felicitation event on Sunday.
Eight players -- Harmanpreet Singh, Manpreet Singh, Samsher Singh, Gurjant Singh, Germanpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, Mandeep Singh, and Sukhjeet Singh,
who were part of the main team were awarded ₹1 crore while two reserve players -- Jugraj Singh and Krishan Pathak -- were awarded ₹15 lakh.
Apart from this, shooters Sifat Kaur Samra, Anjum Mudgil, Vijayveer Singh Sidhu, Arjun Singh Cheema, Arjun Babuta, and Rajeshwari Kumari received a cash prize of ₹15 lakh. Athletics and golf players, including Tejinderpal Singh Toor, Akshdeep Singh, and Gaganjeet Bhullar, were also felicitated.
Team captain Harmanpreet Singh was the cynosure of all eyes during the event held in Chandigarh.
A thrilled Harmanpreet said, “The team played well, and it was heartening to win the bronze after beating Spain. The kind of love and support the team received back home and from hockey lovers across the world has been phenomenal.” Harmanpreet scored the highest 10 goals in the Olympics.
India ended its campaign at the Paris Olympics with six medals, including five bronze and a silver. This was the first time in 52 years that the Indian men’s hockey team won back-to-back bronze medals. Mann said he personally watched every hockey match and was proud of the team’s spectacular performance.
The CM said the state will explore giving promotions in jobs already given to medal-winning players.
The players appreciated the Punjab government’s initiative, with Mandeep Singh adding, “Such recognition will boost the morale of upcoming players. The inclination of youth towards sports has increased in Punjab due to the sports policies of the Punjab government and Centre.”
The Punjab government gave a total amount of ₹9.3 crore to players who participated in the Olympics. Olympics. Mann said Punjab is planning to hold a league tournament between four world-class hockey teams in November.