Haryana to confer Bhim award to a physically challenged sports perso

Chandigarh, Mar 29 (UNI) Haryana Government has decided first time to confer the highest State Award, the 'Bhim Award', upon a physically challenged sports person too from this year thus raising the total number of such recipients to six.

Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today said that the decision to give away the highest State award to a physically challenged sports person was taken to boost the morale of the physically challenged persons and encourage them to join the main stream.

He revealed that the first physically challenged sports person upon whom the prestigious State award would be conferred is Girraj Singh of village and post office Alipur in district Faridabad.

The other five outstanding sports persons of Haryana, who would get Bhim Award for the year 2007-08 included Vijender Singh for Boxing, Manoj Kumar for Shooting, Bhupinder Singh for Athletics, Joydeep Kaur for Hockey and Meena Kumari for Wresting.

Mr Hooda said that as per the Sports Policy of the government, each recipient of Bhim Award would get Rs one lakh in cash, an idol of Bhim, a scroll, a blazer and a tie or scarf.

In all, 42 applications were received by the Haryana Sports and Youth Welfare Department for the Bhim Award and these were scrutinised by the technical committee of the department so as to select six outstanding sports person.

Mr Hooda said that the State Government was giving special thrust to the promotion of sports, especially in rural area. Sports stadia were being constructed so as to provide opportunities to the budding sports persons to excel in sports. The diet money of the sports persons had been doubled besides many sports nurseries had been set up to groom the budding players.

UNI JN BP2035