DW BUREAU / Shimla

Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu distributed cash prizes amounting to Rs 14.77 crores to international medal winners. In a statement issued, he said that the state government made a historic increase in the prize money to encourage players and inspire the youth to participate in sports activities.

He awarded Rs 7.80 crore to Nishad Kumar from Una district who won a silver medal in the high jump in the Paralympics Games 2024 held in Paris, a gold medal in the Para Asian Games China 2023 and silver medals in the Tokyo Paralympics 2022 and World Games Portugal 2022 respectively, the statement read.

Nishad had lost his right hand in a grass-cutting machine accident when he was six years old. Sukhu presented Rs. 2.50 crore to Ajay Kumar from Mandi district for winning a silver medal in the Para Asian Games China 2023 and Rs. 33.32 lakh to Kabaddi player Ritu Negi from Sirmaur district for leading the Indian Kabaddi team to victory at the Asian Games China 2023.

She had also won a silver medal in the Asian Games Jakarta 2018.

Sukhu also honoured Padma Shri awardee Ajay Thakur and other prominent personalities from the sports fraternity for their contributions to various games.

Presiding over the felicitation ceremony for international medal winners here, he said that the prize for gold medal winners in the Olympics, Winter Olympics and Paralympics had been raised from Rs 3 crore to Rs 5 crore, while silver and bronze medallists would now receive Rs 3 crore and Rs 2 crore respectively.

For the Asian Games and Para Asian Games, the prize money for gold medallists has been increased from Rs 50 lakh to Rs 4 crore, silver medallists from Rs 30 lakh to Rs 2.50 crore and bronze medallists from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 1.50 crore. Commonwealth Games medallists would receive Rs 3 crore, Rs 2 crore and Rs 1 crore for winning gold, silver, and bronze medals respectively, the statement added.

(editor@dailyworld.in)