Hooda announces to set up a State Sports Fund
Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Saturday announced to set up a State Sports Fund to promote sports and sportspersons and enhance amount of cash awards being given to the medal winners of National Games.
He also said that the government has a plan to open a Sports Academy and a Sports University in the state. He announced that wrestler Ramesh Kumar Gulia, who won gold medal at international level, would be appointed as DSP in Haryana Police.
Hooda was speaking at the opening ceremony of the 23rd Haryana State Games organized at the campus of Maharshi Dayanand University in Rohtak.
The four-day games are being organized by the Haryana Olympic Association. About 6000 players from all over Haryana are participating in this mega sport event in which 28 sports events would be organized.
The Chief Minister declared the State games open and hoisted the flag of the games. He took salute from the impressive march-past put up the participating sports persons.
Announcing a bonanza for the sports persons, the Chief Minister said that now the gold medal winner of National Games would get Rs. 3 lakh, the Silver medal winner would get Rs. 2 lakh and the Bronze medal winner would get Rs. 1 lakh. Earlier, the medal winners of these games were given Rs. 51000, Rs. 31000 and Rs. 11000 respectively.
He said that the state government was spending Rs. 56.48 crore during this financial year for promotion of sports in the state.
Talking about the steps taken by the government to promote sports, Mr Hooda said that the number of sports nurseries has now increased to 46 and sports stadiums in the name of former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi were being constructed in 171 villages of the state.
He said that a modern sports complex was being developed on 90 acres of land in Rohtak. A synthetic athletic track was being laid at Panchkula at a cost of Rs. 4 crore and astroturfs had been laid at Gurgaon and Shahbad.
PTI