The Punjab government today announced Maharaja Ranjit Singh awards, the highest sports award of the state to 67 outstanding players of different disciplines.
Addressing the media persons here today, Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister Punjab who is also Sports Minister said that Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal would confer these awards that included a prize money of Rs.2 lac, a trophy of Maharaja Ranjit Singh astride horse back in warrior dress, a Blazer with pocket, a Tie and a Scroll of Honour. He said that the prize money has been doubled from Rs.1 lac to Rs.2 lac. Mr. Badal said that 10 outstanding players of year 2005, 9 of 2006, 14 of 2007, 14 of 2008, 9 of 2009 and 11 players of 2010 would be conferred these awards in the presence of Mr. Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Padma Shree Awardees, Arjuna Awardees, previous Maharaja Ranjit Singh Awardees, Olympians and International Players . The Award is given to 15 outstanding players every year on the basis of their performance in the preceding five years. One Award each in the disciplines of Cricket, Circle Kabaddi and Physically Handicapped Games is also given. The Govt. formulated Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award Policy during the year 2011. All Padama Shree Awardees, Arjuna Awardees and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awardees automatically qualify for Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award.
The Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award Function is being organised on Monday, 29th April, 2013 at 3.30 PM at Tagore Theatre, Chandigarh. Sardar Parkash Singh Badal, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Punjab has very consented to be the Chief Guest and give away the Awards to the recipients. Sardar Sukhbir Singh Badal, Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister, Punjab has very kindly agreed to preside over the function. Sardar Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, Hon’ble Member Parliament and President, Punjab Olympic Association would also grace the occasion. Hon’ble Ministers of the Punjab Govt., Chief Parliamentary Secretaries, MLA’s, Senior Officers of the State Govt., Padma Shree Awardees, Arjuna Awardees, previous Maharaja Ranjit Singh Awardees, Olympians and International Players are likely to attend the function. A souvenir is also being brought out on this occasion.He said that the Punjab during last five years has focused on upgrading the Sports infrastructure of the state and endeavored to provide latest sports infrastructure to sportspersons, so that they can train and compete with their international counterparts.
Besides laying a Synthetic Track at Village Ghudda and replacing the worn out Synthetic Hockey Surface at Burlton Park, Jalandhar, it has constructed/upgraded 6 Hockey Stadiums in the State including Hockey Stadium, Sec-63, Mohali, Govt. Rajindra College, Bathinda, Govt. Barjindra College, Faridkot, Hockey Stadium, PAU, Ludhiana, Hockey Stadium, GNDU, Amritsar, Hockey Surface at Village Ghudda (Btd.). Mr. Badal said that in addition to this, Multipurpose Stadiums have been constructed/upgraded at Bathinda, Mansa, Sangrur, Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Village Badal (Btd.) and Jalalabad (Fazilka).
Announcing the new initiative of the government to encourage students to opt for sports as a career, Mr. Badal said that he has asked Education department to work out a plan to introduce sports as a elective subject in boards examination whose grades would be counted in the aggregate marks. He said that by doing so sports would be a compulsory subject in every school and we would be able to nurture the budding youth into international players.
Announcing the organization of Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh Punjab Games in priority sports disciplines some times in the third quarter of the year, Mr. Badal said that prize money of Rs. 25.00 lac per discipline would be given to the first three position holder teams. He said that 100 players in each discipline would be ranked on the basis of their performance in these games. Sports scholarships at the rate of Rs. 10,000/- per person would be given to the ranked players. Similarly Junior Ranked Players would be given a sports scholarship of Rs. 5,000/- per head.
The Deputy Chief Minister said that the Punjab government had been magnanimous in enhancing the quantum of Cash Awards to the sportspersons who win medals in Olympics, Asian, Common Wealth and other National & International Competitions. He said that any player of the state who wins an Inpidual or Team Gold Medal in Olympics will be awarded Rs. 2.25 crore. Mr. Badal said that the Silver and Bronze Medalists would take home Rs. 1.01 crore and Rs. 51.00 lac, respectively. The Gold, Silver and Bronze Medalists of Asian Games would gain Rs. 26.00 lac, Rs. 16.00 lac & Rs. 11.00 lac and Commonwealth Games Rs. 16.00 lac, Rs. 11.00 lac & Rs. 6.00 lac, respectively. Mr. Badal said that the Govt. presented Cash Awards to the tune of Rs. 9.81 crore to such sportspersons who brought honour to the state.
Mr. Badal said that during last five years we had created 10 Group-A posts for the medalists of Olympics, Asian and Commonwealth Games and appointed the players on the posts of Deputy Superintendent of Police Rajpal Singh (Hockey), Avneet Kaur Sidhu (Shooting), Gurbaz Singh (Hockey), Manjeet Kaur (Athletics), Amandeep Kaur (Hockey), Palwinder Cheema (Wrestling), Ronjan Sodhi (Shooting), Manavjit Sandhu (Shooting), Harwant Kaur (Athletics) and Harveen Sarao (Shooting).Underlining the efforts of State in nurturing the budding sports talent, he said that the Govt. is putting up concerted efforts to create a pool of talented players by inducting players into Sports Wings and Sports Academies. During the year 2005-06 the number of players admitted in the sports wings was only 300 which has been gradually increased to more than 4000 in the year 2012-13. In the residential sports wings, the players are provided a diet of Rs. 200/- per day/per head, lodging, sports equipment, sports kitting and training at the Govt. expense. Day scholars in the sports wings are given a diet of Rs. 100/- per day per head along with other facilities.
The Govt. has established specialized Sports Academies at Olympian Surjit Hockey Academy, Jalandhar, Football Academy Mahilpur (Hoshiarpur), Dashmesh Martial Art and Sports Academy, Anandpur Sahib (Roopnagar), Shooting and Hockey for Girls, Village Badal, District Mukatsar.He said that the players admitted in these academies are provided boarding/lodging, education, transport, medical, sports equipment, kitting and training facilities.