Job quota, cash awards go up as new sports policy unveiled

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, January 18

The Minister for Sports, Youth Affairs and Forests, Rakesh Pathania, unveiled the new sports policy of the state today. While addressing a press conference here, the minister said the hallmark of the new policy would be an increase in the job quota for sportspersons from 2 to 3 per cent, increase in financial award for players winning medals in national and international events, and setting up of super specialised residential sports academies at district level.

Better incentives

• Quota for sportspersons in government jobs increased from 2% to 3%
• Winners of gold medal in Olympics, Paralympics to get Rs3 cr, silver Rs2 cr
• Those qualifying, participating in Olympics, Paralympics to get Rs15 lakh
• Super specialised sports academies with residential facilities at district level

He said that earlier, there was 2 per cent quota for sportspersons in government jobs. Under the new policy, the same had been increased to 3 per cent and each government department had been asked to notify the posts for sportspersons in all future recruitments, he said.

Under the new policy, any sportsperson from the state winning a gold medal in Olympics and Paralympics would be given a cash award of Rs 3 crore. Those winning silver or bronze medal would be awarded Rs 2 crore and Rs 1 crore, respectively. Those qualifying and participating in Olympics and Paralympics would also be given a cash award of Rs 15 lakh, Pathania stated.

The minister said cash awards for winning medals in Commonwealth Games/ Para World Games, World University Games, Youth Olympic Games, Youth Asian Games and Asian and Commonwealth Championships had also been doubled. Cash awards had also been introduced for sportspersons winning medals in National Youth Games, All India Inter-University Games, Khelo India university games, national women sports festivals, All-India Rural Sports Tournament at senior and junior levels and national school games, he said.

Pathania said old players, who had represented the state at national and international level and were serving in various government departments, would be made patron of the sports academies to be opened at each district. These athletes would be asked to mentor the budding sportspersons from the state, he stated.

Pathania said the Khel Mahakumbh schedule would be released in March. Tournaments in a variety of sports disciplines would be organised at panchayat, tehsil, subdivision, district and state level. While responding to queries regarding the control of politicians over many sports associations and bodies in the state, Pathania said the matter was sub-judice but the state government wanted to fix the stint of presidents of all sports bodies at 12 years.

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