New Delhi, July 22 (IANS) In a major boost for the sports ecosystem in Delhi, the Rekha Gupta government on Tuesday announced cash rewards of up to Rs 7 crore for Olympic and Paralympic gold medal winners, along with a government job.

Speaking at a media briefing after a Cabinet meeting, Education Minister Ashish Sood said that under ‘Mukhyamantri Khel Protsahan Yojana’, it has been decided that Olympic Gold Medallists will receive a reward of Rs 7 crore each, Silver medallists will receive a reward of Rs 5 crore each and Bronze medallists will receive a reward of Rs 3 crore each.

Olympic and Paralympic medal winners were awarded earlier, given Rs 3 crore, Rs 2 crore and Rs 1 crore for Gold, Silver and Bronze medals.

The reward money for Asiad medals has also been enhanced from Rs 2.5 crore to Rs 3 crore for Gold medal, Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 2 crore for Silver medal and Rs 1 crore for Bronze medal, he said.

For Commonwealth Games medal winners, the Delhi government has decided to fix the reward money for Gold, Silver and Bronze at Rs 2 crore, Rs 1.5 crore and Rs 1 crore, he said.

The Minister said the Delhi government has also decided to give a reward of Rs 11 lakh to each medal winner in the National Games.

He said it was also decided that the Gold Medal winners at the Olympics and Asian Games will be given Group A jobs in the Delhi government. Silver and Bronze medal winners from other events will also be offered government jobs in suitable categories.

The latest announcement by the Delhi government almost doubles the existing reward limits for medal winners in international events.

“Earlier, each Olympic and Para-Olympic medal winner was given Rs 3 crore, Rs 2 crore and Rs 1 crore on bagging Gold, Silver and Bronze medals, respectively,” said Sood.

Promising to assist Delhi sportspersons to train better for success in international events, Sood said an amount of up to Rs 5 lakh will be given as coaching and training assistance to eligible sportspersons in schools starting Class 6 upwards.

“The sports-related rewards announced in the Cabinet meeting are part of the Delhi government’s plan to promote holistic development of youth,” he said, calling the decisions ‘historic’.

–IANS

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