Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday felicitated the medal-winning players who participated in the recently held 19th Asian Games held in China.

In line with the state’s player-friendly sports policy, Khattar honoured the gold medal-winning athletes with a cash reward of Rs 3 crore, the silver medalists with Rs 1.5 crore, and the bronze medalists with Rs 75 lakh, along with commendation letters and job offer letters, to recognise their accomplishments.

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He congratulated all the athletes for their achievements and wished them success in future sports competitions.

Addressing the gathering, the CM said that be it the Olympics, Paralympics, or Khelo India, Haryanvi sportspersons with their Dhakad performances have always made the country and state proud.

“We take pride in the fact that Haryana has made its mark in the world of sports. In National and International sports, Haryana’s participation contributes to about 30 to 40 per cent of the medals. Therefore, we are proud of our players,” he said.

The CM also expressed gratitude to the parents and coaches of the athletes who have supported them and provided the inspiration to move forward. He said in the 19th Asian Games, Haryana’s nearly 80 athletes participated and won 30 medals, with a total of 44 medalists.

Khattar urged the athletes to start their preparations now and get ready for the Olympics. He said Haryana is at the top in India, but to achieve the top position in the world in terms of medals, more hard work is required. Just as Haryana has consistently contributed to sports, if other states also make their contributions, India will surely reach the top spot in the world.

He announced the establishment of shooting ranges in Nimana village in Jhajjar district and Sector 32 in Panchkula to promote shooting sports in the state, two archery centres to be established in Tejli Stadium in Yamunanagar district, and District Sports Complex in Faridabad.

Khattar also announced that the government would formulate a policy to provide various sports equipment for local sports events organized in villages and towns so that athletes can have access to the necessary equipment.

He also announced that winners of smaller and local sports events, which are not included in the list of National Games, would receive cash awards, similar to those in mainstream sports, to encourage and promote such local sports.