CHANDIGARH: Punjab government Friday took a major initiative to give boost to sports activities in the state and put in place cash award policy for the sports persons in 29 sports disciplines. A cash award of Rs. One Crore would be given for to Gold medal winner at Olympics.

The state cabinet which met here under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has approved the policy.

An official spokesman said that state Government had decided to provide cash award to prominent sportspersons in 29 sports disciplines of Aquatics (Swimming, Water Polo, Diving and Synchronized Swimming), Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Baseball. Basketball, Boxing, Canoeing and Kayaking, Cycling, Equestrian, Fencing, Football, Gymnastic (including Rhythmic Gymnastic), Handball, Hockey, Judo, Modern Pentathlon, Rowing, Sailing, Shooting, Softball, Table Tennis, Tae-kwon-do, Tennis, Triathlon, Volleyball (including Beach Volleyball), Wrestling (Free Style and Greco Roman) Weightlifting and Cricket.

The spokesman said that decision to give cash awards was taken to encourage sports persons to attain still higher achievements so as to adopt sports as a career. He further informed that under the category of individual events, the cash prize money   would be   Rs. 1 crore for gold, Rs.50 lac for silver and Rs.25 lac for bronze medal in the Olympic Games, for official world cup/ championship (held after every four years)   Rs. 21 lac, Rs.11 lac and Rs.7 lac for Gold , Silver and Bronze medal winner respectively.

In the case of Asian/Common Wealth Games it would be Rs.7 lac, Rs. 5 lac and Rs. 3 lac for Gold, Silver and Bronze medal winner. Likewise Rs. 5 lac, Rs. 3 lac and     Rs. 2 lac had been approved for the Gold, Silver and Bronze medal Winner in the World Cup/Asian Championship (held every year or every two years) The cash prize money would be Rs. 3 lac, Rs. 2 lac and Rs. 1 lac   for Gold, Silver and Bronze medal winners respectively in case of National Games/Afro Asian Games/SAF games.

In case of handicapped games (in any international event) the cash prize would be Rs.5 lac for Gold, Rs. 3 lac for Silver and Rs. 2 lac for Bronze medal winner. For team events, the prize money would be divided amongst the total number of team members (including reserves). In junior category players would get 50% of the above amount, cash awards would   be given only to the medal winners and not just for breaking the existing records in the competitions mentioned above.