CEREMONY TO BE HELD AT TAU DEVI LAL STADIUM, GURUGRAM, HARYANA’S SPORTS POLICY AMONG THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY,CM TO FELICITATE MEDAL WINNERS OF THE 38TH NATIONAL GAMES ON FEBRUARY 9:
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Haryana Minister of State for Sports, Sh. Gaurav Gautam, said that Haryana has one of the finest sports policies in the country and is among the most progressive states in the field of sports. Under the state’s sports policy, athletes are provided cash incentives ranging from Rs. 51,000 to Rs. 6 crore for achievements, from national-level competitions to Olympic medals, helping them become financially self-reliant.
Keeping the welfare of sportspersons in mind, the state government will organise a ceremony on February 9 at Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Gurugram. During the event, Chief Minister, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini will honour medal winners of the 38th National Games held in Uttarakhand and will also formally inaugurate the CM Cup-2025.
The Sports Minister was addressing a press conference at Haryana Niwas here today.
Sh. Gaurav Gautam said that the ceremony will honour winners of 48 gold, 47 silver, and 58 bronze medals from the National Games. In addition, a total of 689 athletes and coaches who participated in the Games will also be felicitated. On this occasion, Savita Punia, who has made outstanding contributions to Indian hockey and was recently awarded the Padma Shri, will be given special recognition.
He further informed that since 2014, an amount of approximately Rs. 709 crore has been disbursed as cash awards and incentives to 16,970 players. During the year 2025–26, more than Rs. 109 crore has already been given to 662 players to support their welfare.
The Sports Minister emphasised that the state government is a true well-wisher of athletes. Haryana currently has 1,500 sports nurseries where over 37,000 players are undergoing training. Besides this, applications have also been invited to set up an additional 500 sports nurseries, aimed at nurturing sporting talent at the grassroots level.
He said that the Haryana Sports Department is working with a clear vision of the 2036 Olympics, with a target of winning 36 medals. Efforts are being made in this direction, and the upcoming state budget will allocate funds keeping this mission in focus.
He further said that under the leadership of Prime Minister, Sh. Narendra Modi, the Union Budget has provided a historic 33 percent increase in allocation for sports. In Haryana, stadiums across the state are being upgraded at a cost of Rs. 114 crore, of which nearly 70 percent of the work has already been completed.
Principal Secretary, Sports Department, Sh. Vijay Singh Dahiya, and Additional Director, Sports Department, Sh. Ashwani Malik also remained present on this occasion.
