The State Cabinet has announced cash awards for athletes who had won medals at the just concluded 22nd Asian Athletic Championship at Bhubaneswar.

Individual gold medallists at the meet will get ₹10 lakh each, silver medallists, ₹7 lakh each, and bronze medallists will get ₹5 lakh each. In the team category, gold medallists will get ₹5 lakh each, silver medallists, ₹3.5 lakh each, and bronze medallists ₹2.5 lakh each.

Besides the cash incentive, the Kerala Sports Council will provide financial assistance to P.U. Chithra for continuing her training and participating in various meets. All the medal winners at the Asian Athletic Championship will be honoured at a function to be held here. Coaches of the medal-winning athletes will also be honoured, Sports and Youth Affairs Minister A.C. Moideen said in a press note here on Wednesday.

Operation Olympia

The Minister said the cash incentive for sportspersons who won medals at national and international sports meets would be revised from time to time. Medal-hopeful athletes would also be given training by bringing them under Operation Olympia, which was targeted at creating medal winners at the Olympics. International footballer C.K. Vineeth, who had been dismissed from service at the Accountant General’s office here, had applied for a job in the State service. The government would take an early decision on his petition, Mr. Moideen said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Kerala / by Special Correspondent / Thiruvananthapuram / July 12th, 2017