The Hindu : National : Haryana committed to becoming sports super power, says Hooda

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Aug 31, 2008
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

National

National

Haryana committed to becoming sports super power, says Hooda

Special Correspondent

Announces incentives for sportspersons, promises academies to groom them

Monthly pension of Rs.5,000 to Arjuna Award and Dronacharya Award recipients
Cricket academy to be set up at Jhajjar by Virender Sehwag in PPP mode

CHANDIGARH: Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Saturday said his regime was committed to make the State a “super power” in sports.

Speaking at a State- level function organised to honour the Olympians at the Bhim Stadium in Bhiwani, Mr. Hooda also announced several incentives for sportspersons. He also urged them to take a pledge to win at least 10 gold medals at the London Olympics to be held in 2012.

Mr. Hooda said a reward of Rs.11 lakh would be given to all players who would qualify for the Olympics in the future. He also announced a monthly pension of Rs.5,000 to the recipients of Arjuna Award and Dronacharya Award.

He said sports academies would be set up in the State to groom promising players. The boxing academy of international standards to be set up at Bhiwani would be named after Captain Hawa Singh who has done a lot to promote boxing in the Bhiwani belt.

He also announced that a cricket academy would be set up at Jhajjar by cricketer Virender Sehwag in public-private partnership (PPP) mode.

Also, a football academy of international standards would come up at Gurgaon. And Naveen Jindal , MP, who is also an international shooter, would set up a sports institute in Haryana at a cost of Rs.100 crore.

Giving a reward of Rs.50 lakh to boxer Vijender Kumar for winning bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics, Mr. Hooda offered him to choose between the post of Deputy Director, Sports Department and Deputy Superintendent of Police, in addition to giving him a residential plot.

He also gave Rs.25 lakh to Sushil Kumar for winning a bronze in wrestling besides offering him the post of a Deputy Superintendent of Police.

Mr. Hooda also presented Rs.25 lakh each to boxers Akhil Kumar and Jitender, wrestler Yogeshwar Dutt and badminton player Saina Nehwal for reaching the quarter-final at the Beijing Olympics.

The lone Indian gold medalist for shooting, Abhinav Bindra, was not present. Mr. Hooda gave Rs.25 lakh to his representative.

Earlier, Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs Kiran Choudhry appreciated the performance of players in the Beijing Olympics saying that they had brought laurels to the country.

She urged the Chief Minister that the native villages of Olympians should be declared as model villages.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National