BHUBANESWAR 27-Aug-2019
Amendment in Government of India guidelines for cash awards to para-athletes helped Odisha para-badminton ace Pramod Bhagat become richer by Rs 35 lakh today. The polio-afflicted shuttler from Atabira of Bargarh district received the cash awards for winning men’s SL3 singles and SL3-4 doubles gold medals in the just concluded BWF World Para-Badminton Championships in Basel, Switzerland.
Amending the policy for para-athlete to make them eligible for more cash awards, Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju handed over a total Rs 1.82 crore to the medalists of the Para-Badminton World Championships.
As per the amended guidelines, medal winners in world events and world championships, which are organised by International Paralympic Committee as well as in events that are not recognised by IPC, but organised by respective international sports federations and recognised by Internatioal Olympic Committee, will be eligible for cash awards from the the government.
It has also been decided that medal winners will be given their cash awards the day they return to the country after an international event, and will not have to wait for a once-a-year ceremony` as was the norm earlier.
The first set of athletes who received their cash awards under the changed guidelines are para-badminton players, who have just won 12 medals at the Basel World Championships.
The medal winners met the Sports Minister over lunch at Sports Authority of India (SAI) and were handed over the cheques. While the gold medal winners took home Rs 20 lakh, the silver medallists were given Rs 14 and bronze winners Rs 8 lakh each. Winners in the doubles events won Rs 15 lakh each for gold, Rs 10.5 lakh each for silver and Rs 6 lakh for brozne.
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PHOTO: Pramod Bhagat takes a selfie with Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju in New Delhi on 27 August, 2019.
