CHANDIGARH, May 25 — Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann announced a comprehensive sports promotion strategy on Sunday, distributing ₹32.05 crore in direct cash prizes to 1,157 of the state’s athletes. The initiative combines immediate financial rewards for past achievements with a ₹1,763 crore sports budget designated for the 2026-27 financial year to build long-term athletic infrastructure.
The state government presented the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award to 87 athletes, providing each recipient with ₹5 lakh, a blazer, a scroll, and a commemorative emblem. An additional 1,070 medal-winning sportspersons received cash prizes through direct checks, effectively clearing all pending state sports honors from the last several years.
“For the first time in Punjab’s history, the government has distributed prize money worth ₹32.05 crore among players through cheques,” Mann said. “The Punjab Government has not only honoured Olympic and Asian Games medalists with ₹1 crore each but has also provided jobs to nine medal-winning players.”
The revised policy focuses heavily on preparatory funding rather than post-victory incentives alone. Under this system, 220 international players received ₹8.61 crore for pre-tournament training. The newly established Punjab Sports Portal has also overseen the direct disbursement of more than ₹15 crore for training and high-end equipment across specialized fields like fencing, kayaking, shooting, and archery.
At the grassroots level, the state is investing ₹1,300 crore to build 3,148 sports grounds in rural areas. The government is also installing gym equipment in 6,000 villages and distributing 17,000 sports kits. To support technical growth, Punjab has established a separate Sports Medicine cadre, completing recruitment for 112 specialized positions, while launching 253 youth sports nurseries.
Top financial rewards went to women’s cricket captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Amanjot Kaur, who accepted ₹1.50 crore each. Shooters Amanpreet Singh and Neeraj Kumar received ₹1.54 crore and ₹1.52 crore respectively, while para-powerlifting world champion Paramjit Kumar was awarded ₹55 lakh.
Mann noted that Punjab will host the international Asian Champions Trophy for the first time, featuring an India-Pakistan match on Punjab Day. He stated that past administrators failed to bring major international events to the state and frequently allowed political figures to run sports associations.
The event closed with honors presented to the families of athletes away at training camps. Mann praised the parents on stage, asserting that the discipline and structural support provided by families remain vital to the state’s overall sporting achievements.
