Neeraj Chopra to get ₹6 crore cash reward, to be made head of Centre for Excellence in Athletics: Khattar

Star javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who claimed India’s first-ever track-and-field Olympic medal with a gold-medal winning feat at Tokyo Games, will get a cash reward of ₹6 crore, Haryana Chief Minister M L Khattar said on Saturday.

Khattar also announced that Chopra will be made head of upcoming Centre for Excellence in Athletics in Panchkula.

“As per our sports policy, Neeraj Chopra will get a cash reward of ₹six crore, a Class-I job and a piece of plot of land at concessional rates,” said Khattar.

On Saturday, Chopra, who hails from Khandra village in Panipat district, won the country’s seventh medal and first gold in this Olympics, barely an hour after wrestler Bajrang Punia from Sonipat had won a bronze medal.

Earlier, wrestler Ravi Dahiya had also made the country and Haryana proud by winning an Olympic silver medal.

Congratulating Chopra and other medal winners, Khattar said: “Today is a golden day in the chapter of our sports history

“It is a big achievement for the country our athletes have made us proud. People of Haryana and the country are happy today at the feat of our sportspersons,” Khattar said.

The Chief Minister said that a grand felicitation function will be held in Panchkula On August 13, in which the players from the state who took part in Tokyo Olympics will be honoured.

“Haryana’s contribution in medal tally is significant. We have 30 players from Haryana in the country’s Olympics contingent.”

He spoke to the parents of Chopra and Punia on Saturday and congratulated them.

In Panchkula, Khattar said the state government is setting up a Centre for Excellence for Athletics and Chopra will be made its head.

“Panipat is his native place and Panchkula is the city where he honed his skills,” he said.

Earlier, he had announced an indoor wrestling stadiums in native village of wrestlers Ravi Dahiya and Bajrang Punia in Sonipat and Jhajjar districts, respectively.

“We have made several announcements to encourage other talented players. We want to make Haryana the biggest sports hub,” said Khattar.

For his bronze medal winning effort, as per the state’s sports policy, Punia will get a cash reward of ₹2.5 crore, a piece of plot at concessional rates and a state government job.

Earlier, Khattar had praised Dahiya for his effort after he became only the second Indian wrestler to win a silver medal at the Olympics. Dahiya will get ₹4 crore prize money, Class-I job and a piece of land of Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran at concessional rates as per state government’s policy for winning silver at the Olympics.

The Haryana government will also honour the nine history-making women’s hockey players of the state with cash reward of ₹50 lakh each, while an equal amount would be given to each sportsperson of the state who stood at the fourth position in any event in the Olympics.

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.