Chandigarh, August10: Punjab Sports and Youth Services Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi, onTuesday, informed that the state government will honor Olympics medal winnersand participating state players besides Gold medalist Neeraj Chopra with thecash awards worth Rs.15.10 in a special function to be held in Chandigarh onAugust 12.
In a presscommuniqué, Rana Sodhi said that Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh willhonour the Olympic players, while Governor Mr. V.P. Singh Badnaur would be thespecial guest on this occasion. The Sports Minister said that as per thespecial announcement of the Chief Minister, gold medal winner Javelin ThrowerNeeraj Chopra, who has deep roots with Punjab, would be honored with an amountof Rs.2 crore.
Rana Sodhi said that11 state players, who were part of the Indian hockey team which brought laurelsin Olympics by winning a medal (bronze) after 41 years of drought, would behonoured with Rs.1 crore each. Notably, Indian hockey team led by CaptainManpreet Singh and Vice-Captain Harmanpreet Singh. Apart from them, RupinderPal Singh, Simranjit Singh, Mandeep Singh, Gurjant Singh, Shamsher Singh, VarunKumar, Dilpreet Singh, Hardik Singh and Krishan Pathak were also from Punjab.Fourth positioned Indian women hockey team members from state Reena Khokhar andGurjit Kaur and Discus Thrower Kamalpreet Kaur, who remained on 6th positionalso amongst to be honoured with cash prize of Rs. 50 lakhs each.
Similarly, BoxerSimranjit Kaur, Shooter Anjum Moudgill and Angadveer Singh, athletes TejinderPal Singh Toor & Gurpreet Singh and Paralympic Badminton player PalakKohli, would also be given Rs.10 lakh each.