Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday, 6 March, honoured 11 athletes (and their coaches) who won medals in the 19th Asian Games.
CM Kejriwal presented cash rewards (under the cash incentive scheme) of Rs 1 crore for gold medalists, Rs 75 lakh for silver medalists, and Rs 50 lakh for bronze medalists during the ceremony.
"We have a lot of talent in our country. When our government was formed, our efforts were to help as many growing athletes as we could. We made the best sports policy for Delhi, but we learned from the sports policies of different states in India. We will further improve them," said CM Kejriwal.
Talking about initiatives for athletes, Kejriwal further said, "We introduced the Play and Progress scheme. In this case, for children up to 17 years of age who show talent in sports, we give Rs 1–3 lakh to them to improve so that they can take coaching, improve their diet, and buy their equipment with this. From 2018 to 2022, under this policy, we have helped 1,500 children and given Rs 32 crore."
"Similarly, Mission Excellence is our programme in which we give Rs 16 lakh for their improvement to children who show talent in national and international sports. In the last 4 years, we have helped 400 players with Rs 25 crore," the Delhi chief minister added.
Incentives for Athletes
Kejriwal further mentioned the Delhi government's incentives for athletes who win medals in the Olympics and Asian Games to boost their morale.
"We introduced Sports University in Delhi, for which the construction work will start, and it will take three years to make it. But a Delhi sports school has been opened under this university, and last year, 15,000 children applied from around the country, out of which 172 were selected after a rigorous competition," he said.
"These children are being prepared for 10 Olympic sports like athletics and badminton, amongst others. We also ensure that these students do not miss out on their education as well," added Kejriwal.
Delhi Minister Atishi also stated that the Kejriwal government has implemented various schemes, including 'Mission Excellence', over the past nine years to promote athlete talent development.
She expressed pride in Indian athletes' performance at the Asian Games, highlighting the sense of unity they bring to the nation despite differences in language and beliefs.
"The Kejriwal government will always support the players whenever they need any kind of support," she said.
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