Jayalalithaa increases prize money of medal winners

Chennai Sept 6: Tamil Nadu government today took a crucial move to promote sports in the state by doubling the prize money for medal winners of international and national sports events. It will also set up a "Centre of Excellence in Sports" to give a better platform for budding sports stars.

Chief Minister Jayalalithaa said in the assembly today that players from the state who wins gold medals in Olympics would get 2 crore instead of 1 crore at present. Similarly the winners of silver and bronze medals will receive Rs 1 crore and 50 lakh against Rs 50 lakh and 25 lakh.

Adding further she said that the gold medal winner of Commonwealth Games and Asian games will get Rs 50 lakh and winners of silver and bronze medal will get Rs. 30 lakh and 20 lakh respectively. Earlier it were Rs. 20 lakh, Rs 15 lakh and Rs 10 lakh for gold, silver and bronze respectively. On the other hand, the prize money for gold medal winners of South Asian and National Games has also been increased by Rs 5 lakh against Rs 1 lakh at present and silver and bronze medel winners will receive rupees three lakh and two lakh against Rs 50,000 and Rs 10,000 earlier.

For "Centre of Excellence in Sports", the authority will select 25 girls and 25 boys in the age group of 10-14 from the state and they would be given accommodation, sports equipment, scientific training and assistance to participate in sports abroad and at the same time they would pursue their studies in reputed schools in Chennai, said Jayalalithaa.

OneIndia News