BHUBANESWAR: Ahead of the Paris Olympic Games the Sports and Youth Services Department of Odisha has revised the guidelines for extending cash awards to sportspersons and coaches, including para-athletes and differently-abled sportspersons for winning medals in national and international sports competitions.
To clarify the confusion about the revised scheme the Sports and Youth Services Secretary R Vineel Krishna told The New Indian Express, "To incentivise and promote better performance by the medalists in the International meets, the department has brought above clarification regarding the cash awards. The revised scheme is for the players winning medals in International events only. The early exciting scheme for national medalists remains the same."
He also added, "The Government provides all the training support and jobs to the eligible sportspersons. Odisha provides the best cash awards in the country and it is also delivered as soon as the medalists come back from the championships. This modification will motivate the international medalists to achieve better performance in their subsequent championships".
As per the revised guidelines, the quantum of cash awards shall be a maximum of up to Rs 9 crore in the lifetime of a sportsperson. Paralympic medalist Pramod Bhagat said "Such a scheme is no way going to motivate players for bringing laurels for the country as well as for the State in the highest level of competitions. The Government should not fix the bar of a total cash award of 9 crore in a lifetime. In one way we are claiming that Odisha is the best sports-promoting state, in other ways, we are going to restrict the cash award for players. If such things happen the athletes will think whether I will take retirement or represent from another state."
Talking about the new revised cash award scheme, Odia Olympian sprinter Srabani Nanda expressed, "In 2010 when I won an International bronze medal, received only Rs 3 lakh of cash award from the state government. Comparatively, it is way more now. But the only thing I don't like in the revised guidelines regarding fixing the cash award lifetime of a sportsperson."
She also said, "If we look at many other countries athletes have to pay to enter a sports ground. Where in India we get most things for free with support from SAI and the state government. As an athlete, I will always feel happy if athletes get more prize money and continue sports in happy and pleasant situations."
Other changes made in the revised scheme, If an athlete won more than one medal in a particular meet he/she will get the highest medal value cash award. If a sportsperson wins multiple highest positions (gold medals/ 1st position) in the same sports competition she/ he shall be eligible to be sanctioned with a cash award for the number of highest positions won.
If a sportsperson wins a lower position/ medal in a sports event than the previous year, in the same competition, she/ he shall not be eligible for any cash award for the subsequent year for her/ his performance.