Chandigarh forms panel to evaluate eligibility for cash awards

Tribune News Service

Deepankar Sharda

Chandigarh, February 7

The UT Sports Department has constituted a committee to decide on the eligibility criteria for giving cash awards to players, who have excelled in various international championships from 2013 to 2018.

The committee includes the Director, Sports-cum-Secretary (Chandigarh Sports Council); Joint Director, Sports (UT Sports Department); Droncharya recipient boxing coach Shiv Singh, hockey Olympian Sukhbir Singh, representatives of the Sports Authority of India (SAI), senior coaches of the UT Sports Department, and the coach concerned of the game.

The committee has been tasked to prepare the eligibility criteria and to evaluate applications for getting cash awards for 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18. However, the orders do not mention the names of the representatives of the SAI and senior coaches of the department included in the committee.

“The Secretary, Sports, has nominated the members. Some members are appointed under the ex officio factor. The players who registered only in Chandigarh and had represented the UT in various international championships will be eligible to get these cash awards,” said a source.

In past, it was announced that city players, who participate in the Olympic Games, Hockey World Cup, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, Youth Olympic Games, Youth Asian Games, Youth Commonwealth Games and Afro-Asian Games, would be awarded higher amount than what players got in Punjab or Haryana on the day of achieving any position or participation. It was further mentioned that achievements in various events, including mountain climbing, trekking to the north/south pole and many other activities of equal stature, would be considered for a cash reward on a case-to-case basis with the approval of the Adviser to the Administrator-cum-president of the Chandigarh Sports Council. For an Olympic gold, the cash prize was increased from Rs5 lakh to Rs6 crore and for national championships, the cash incentive for a gold medal was increased from Rs20, 000 to Rs2 lakh.

However, no official confirmation has been issued so far on whether the same procedure will be followed this time. “The committee has been constituted and will make recommendations. The approval is not coming soon, as it has many roadblocks. In the past, many players have shifted their bases to neighbouring states, and in such a scenario; it will not be easy to evaluate the applications. There have been hurdles on the issuing of cash awards, as it was announced that Chandigarh will award more amount than cash prizes given by Punjab and Haryana. However, the city directly comes under the MHA and they have to make their own criteria. While appointing officials, the department considers the UPSC rules and call applications from various nearby states, but for awarding cash awards, the Administration cannot just limit its search to two states (Haryana and Punjab),” added a former coach.

Players registered in Chandigarh

“The Secretary, Sports, has nominated the members of the committee. Some members are appointed under the ex officio factor. The players who registered only in Chandigarh and had represented the UT in various international championships will be eligible to get these cash awards,” said a source.

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