Cash prize for medal winners doubled in MP

Bhopal, Feb 22 (UNI) Buoyed over the spectacular performance of the Madhya Pradesh team in the 33rd national games that concluded at Guwahati recently, the state government has doubled the cash prize for the winners of medals, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced in the Vidhan Sabha today.

Making a suo moto statement during the zero hour, Mr Chouhan said the cash prize was Rs one lakh, Rs 80,000 and Rs 60,000 for gold, silver and bronze medalists in individual category and Rs 50,000, Rs 40,000 and Rs 30,000 respectively in team events. The prize money was being doubled to send out a signal that the government and the people of the state were with the sportspersons, Mr Chouhan said.

Setting a record, sportspersons from Madhya Pradesh bagged a total of 12 gold, 19 silver and 32 bronze in the Guwahati meet.

Congratulating the sportspersons, Sports Minister and the officials of Sports and Youth Welfare departments, the Chief Minister said the unprecedented success was achieved due to advance coaching facilities, providing the services of coach, physiotherapists and psychologists and motivation by the minister and departmental officers. The department had come up to the expectations after its budget allocation was considerably increased this year, he said.

The state's women hockey academy was set up at Gwalior in July last year. Within six months, the state team won the championship in national school games and six players from the state were selected for the national hockey training camp, Mr Chouhan said.

To achieve excellence, the state government had initiated steps for starting academies at Bhopal in shooting, men hockey, water sports and martial art(women). A sports village is being set up near Bhopal where infrastructure of international standard would be available, Mr Chouhan said.

The Chief Minister's announcement was preceded by a walkout by the opposition members, who held that doubling the prize money was violation of the model of conduct for the Lok Sabha byelection in Gwalior, from where State Sports Minister Yashodara Raje Scindia is the BJP nominee.

Speaker Ishwardas Rohani rejected the opposition contention saying it was not violative of the model code. Leader of opposition Jamuna Devi, Mr Satyadeo Katare and Mr Ramniwas Rawat(all Cong) and Dr Sunilam (SP) raised objections regarding violation of the election code.

UNI