Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
* Rs. 4.29 crore to be awarded as prize money to 28 players
* Excellent sports training facilities to be made available – Sukhbir Badal
Chandigarh, Punjab Government will honour players of Punjab who have brought laurels to the nation by winning medals in Incheon Asian Games 2014 and Glasgow Commonwealth games 2014 on November 11 at Tagore Theatre, Chandigarh.
An official spokesman said that Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal, who is also holding portfolio of sports department, will honour the winners for their outstanding achievements at international events. He further said that Rs. 4.29 crore would be distributed as prize money amongst the 28 players from various events.
Expressing satisfaction on the achievements of Punjab players Mr Badal said that the Punjab Government was fully alive to its responsibility to nurture, facilitate and encourage its sportspersons who bring laurels and glory to the state and country by winning medals at national and international level. He said that the presentation of cash incentives to eminent sportspersons was only an expression of appreciation and gratitude of the state to them.
Deputy Chief Minister assured that excellent sports training facilities including hi-tech coaching by professional foreign experts would also be made available to the prospective medal winners. Reiterating his commitment to promote sports activities, Mr. Badal said four world-class centres of excellence in sports being set up at Amritsar, Bathinda, SAS Nagar and Jalandhar.
Thirteen Asiad winners would be awarded with prize money of Rs. 2.79 crore, out of which gold medallist would get prize of Rs. 26 lakh whereas silver medallist Rs. 16 lakh and Bronze medallist Rs. 11 lakh. Besides this, 15 players who have won medals in Glasgow Commonwealth games would be awarded with cash prize of Rs. 1.50 crore, out of which Rs. 16 lakh would be given to the gold medallist, Rs. 11 lakh to silver and Rs. 6 lakh to bronze medal winner.
The gold medallists in Incheon Asian games included Mandeep Kaur Cheema in athletics (4X400 meter relay), Gurpreet Singh in Kabaddi, Dharamveer Singh, Manpreet Singh, Akashdeep Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Gurwinder Singh Chandi and Gurbaj Singh (all in hockey). Besides, in 20 KM walk, silver medal winner Khusbeer Kaur, bronze medal winner Abhinav Bhindra in 10 meter Air Rifle shooting in individual and team events, Heena Sidhu 25 meter Pistol, Amandeep Kaur in hockey and Trisha Dev in Archery have also been selected.
He further said that Glasgow Commonwealth games gold winner Abhinav Bhindra in 10 meter Air rifle shooting including silver medallists Navjot Channa in Judo 60 Kg, Dharamveer Singh, Manpreet Singh, Akashdeep Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Gurwinder Singh Chandi and Gurbaj Singh in hockey, Malaika Goel 10 meter Air pistol shooting, Vikas Thakur in weightlifting, Rajinder Singh Rahelu in Power Lifting (Para sport) would also be honoured.
Besides this, Arpinder Singh in Triple Jump, Rajwinder Kaur in Judo, Manavjit Sandhu in shooting and Navjot Kaur in wrestling would also get cash prizes of Rs. 6 lakh each for winning bronze medal in commonwealth games.
