Chandigarh: The Punjab government today felicitated the players who won medals at recently held Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Sports Minister Gurmeet Meet Hayer gave cash prizes to 23 players. The silver medalist was given Rs 50 lakh and the bronze medalist rs 40 lakh. Apart from these, the rest of the players participating in the Commonwealth Games were also given Rs 5 lakh each.
These players won medals include
weightlifter Vikas Thakur, men’s hockey team captain Manpreet Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Akashdeep Singh, Mandeep Singh, Gurjant Singh, Hardik Singh, Varun Kumar, Krishan Pathak, Shamsher Singh, Jarmanjeet Singh, Jugraj Singh, women’s cricket team captain Harmanpreet Kaur, Harleen Deol and Tanya Bhatia won silver medals in the Commonwealth Games. Weightlifters Harjinder Kaur, Lovepreet Singh, Gurdeep Singh and women’s hockey team player Gurjit Kaur won bronze medals.
Will develop sports professionally: Mann
CM Bhagwant Mann said that hockey players earn less money compared to other sports. “I am not against any game but everyone should get a chance. Khokho, Kabaddi, Gymnastics, Athletics etc. will be developed professionally, For this, sports fairs are being organized,” he said.
CM said, “We will create such an atmosphere that the player does not have to worry about the family. Many players of Punjab used to play from Haryana but now this will not happen.”