4 years on, Chandigarh sports policy to kick in on August 29
Chandigarh administration picks National Sports Day to launch policy; announces handsome cash awards for medal winners at international sports events
In the works since 2019, UT’s long-awaited sports policy will finally be rolled out on the occasion of National Sports Day at the Sector 7 Sports Complex on August 29, the birth anniversary of hockey wizard Major Dhyan Chand.
This was decided in a meeting held on Tuesday after Punjab governor and UT administrator Banwarilal Purohit gave nod to the policy, envisaged to encourage youngsters towards taking up sports as a career and utilise their talent to gain laurels for the country.
Under Chandigarh Sports Policy, winners of gold, silver and bronze medals in Olympics will be awarded cash prizes worth ₹6 crore, ₹4 crore and ₹2.5 crore, respectively, much higher than those offered by Punjab and mostly on par with sports-rich Haryana.
Handsome cash prizes are also up for grabs for city residents winning medals at Commonwealth Games and Asian Games, along with National Games, Khelo India Games and School National Games.
Once implemented, players will also be eligible for reservations in jobs under sports quota and other benefits.
On the lines of Haryana’s Bhim awards, UT will confer its own Administrator’s Award for extraordinary accomplishment at the global level. It will comprise an elegant memento, certificate, ceremonial scarf and ₹5 lakh cash prize.
As part of the policy, the administration will focus on optimum utilisation of its existing resources, setting up a centre for rehabilitation and recovery of injured players, and nurturing talent from the school-level.
Confirming the development, UT sports director Saurabh Arora said the policy had been finalised after incorporating meritorious suggestions received from public and other stakeholders: “Everything is set and now with the administrator’s approval, we will notify the policy on August 29 on the occasion of National Sports Day.”
Expressing his delight over Chandigarh Sports Policy becoming a reality soon, Surinder Mahajan, president, Chandigarh Badminton Association, said, “Kudos to the UT administration for framing the sports policy, keeping in mind the current scenario of how various states treat their medallists. In the past, we have seen UT’s sportspersons moving to Haryana and other states for better perks and incentives. The new sports policy will not only stop this talent exodus but also groom coaches. Finally, Chandigarh is on the road to a top-notch sports culture.”
The administration had started formulating its sports policy in 2019, but the Covid-19 pandemic impeded its progress.