It was raining cash prizes for star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra after winning an Olympic gold medal on Saturday as a spirited nation could not have enough young athletes. Haryana Chief Minister ML Khattar announced Rs 6 crore for the 23-year-old athlete from the state, while his Punjab counterpart Amarinder Singh announced a special cash reward of Rs 2 crore.
Cash awards have also been announced by various states for other medal winners and Olympians. With the cash-rich BCCI announcing a monetary reward of Rs 1 crore for Chopra and other medalists from India at the Tokyo Olympics, Khattar said Chopra will be made the head of the upcoming Center for Excellence in Athletics in Panchkula.
Neeraj Chopra on Saturday became the second Indian to win an individual gold and the first Indian to win a track and field medal for the country at the Olympics. Khattar said that according to our sports policy, Neeraj Chopra will get a cash reward of Rs 6 crore, a first class job and a plot of land at concessional rates.
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Announcing the cash reward, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said it was a proud moment for India and all Punjabis, as the family of Neeraj Chopra, a serving Indian Army soldier, belongs to Punjab. Khattar announced that indoor wrestling stadiums would be built in the native villages of wrestlers Ravi Dahiya and Bajrang Punia from Sonipat and Jhajjar districts respectively.
Punia will get a cash reward of Rs 2.5 crore, a plot at subsidized rates and a state government job as per the state’s sports policy for her attempt to win the bronze medal. Ravi Dahiya, who became the second Indian wrestler to win a silver medal at the Olympics, will get Rs 4 crore prize money, a first-class job and a piece of Haryana Urban Development Authority land at concessional rates.
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Haryana government will honor nine women hockey players of the state with a cash prize of Rs 50 lakh each, while each player from the state who finishes fourth in any event in the Olympics will be given an equal amount. In a tweet, BCCI secretary Jay Shah also announced that Rs 50 lakh each will be given to the silver medalists – Mirabai Chanu and Ravi Dahiya.
Mirabai Chanu won India’s first weightlifting medal at the Games and Ravi Dahiya became the second wrestler from the country to win a silver medal after Sushil Kumar (2012). Bronze medalist wrestler Bajrang Punia, boxer Lovlina Borgohain and shuttler PV Sindhu will get Rs 25 lakh each.
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The men’s hockey team, which won its first Olympic medal in 41 years, will get Rs 1.25 crore. Several private enterprises also announced cash prizes and other incentives for the players.
IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings announced a reward of Rs 1 crore for Chopra. “As a token of appreciation and honor on its stupendous achievement, CSK is giving away an award of Rs. 1 crore to Neeraj Chopra,” CSK said in a statement.
It said, “CSK will make a special jersey with the number 8758 in honor of Neeraj Chopra.” Rakesh Kapoor, chairman of Gurugram-based realty firm Allen Group, announced a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh for Neeraj Chopra, while IndiGo offered unlimited. Free travel for one year to him.
Chopra stunned the athletics world by producing a second-round throw of 87.58m in the final, ending India’s 100-year wait for a track and field medal at the Olympics. Hailing from Khandara village in Panipat district, he joined shooter Abhinav Bindra (2008 Beijing Games) as India’s individual gold winners. This is a great achievement for the country, our athletes have made us proud. Khattar said that the people of Haryana and the country are today happy with this feat of our players.
After winning the country’s first medal at the Tokyo Olympics, the Manipur government handed over a check of Rs 1 crore to Chanu and the appointment letter to the post of Additional Superintendent of Police (Sports). Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami had earlier announced a cash reward of Rs 25 lakh to Indian women’s hockey team member Vandana Kataria, while the Jharkhand government said it would give 50-50 rupees to state-based Salima Tete and Nikki Pradhan. Will give Rs.
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The Mizoram government has offered a cash reward of Rs 25 lakh to state women’s hockey star Lalremsiami, besides a government job and a plot. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had announced a reward of Rs 1 crore each for hockey players Vivek Sagar and Neelkant Sharma.
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