Sports achievers to get bigger prizes

{ DELHI CABINET MEETING

- Paras Singh

In a major push to retain and reward sporting talent in the national capital, the Delhi government on Tuesday announced significant hikes in prize money for medal winners at international and national events, along with assured government jobs.

The move is aimed at curbing the trend of athletes migrating to neighbouring states that offer better incentives.

Speaking after a cabinet meeting at the Delhi Secretariat, sports and education minister Ashish Sood said the new measures would be implemented under a revamped “Mukhyamantri Khel Protsahan Yojana’.

“Delhi is now offering the highest prize money for international medal winners in the country,” he said. “In addition, we are committing government jobs to ensure that athletes continue to live and train in Delhi, with long-term security.”

The scheme, aligned with the Centre's Khelo India and Fit India campaigns, will also cover financial support for training, equipment, nutrition and mental health from the school level, said chief minister Rekha Gupta in a statement. “We want to nurture champions from Delhi itself,” she said.