VIJAYAWADA: Underscoring the need for encouraging sports, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has decided to reward medal winners with cash prizes.“Cash prizes will be given to all sportspersons who win medals at national level from 2014 onwards.
The State government will give a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh to the winner of a gold medal, Rs 4 lakh to a silver medallist and Rs 3 lakh to a bronze medal winner, the Chief Minister said. He also asked officials to identify national medal winners at a junior and sub-junior level for rewarding them with cash prizes. The government will give a cash prize of Rs 1.25 to a gold medallist, Rs 75,000 to silver medal winner and Rs 50,000 to bronze medallist in the category.
Jagan said, if given proper encouragement, sportspersons will bring international accolades to the country and the State like PV Sindhu, the ace shuttler, who won the World Badminton Championship.
The Chief Minister directed officials to identify all sportspersons who excel at the national level at the earliest to distribute cash prizes on the occasion of the National Sports Day on August 29. However, as there is not adequate time, he wanted officials to complete the exercise within a week after August 29.