Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai Called National Sports Medalist Athletes the Pride of Chhattisgarh: Gave Athletes Best Wishes to Become Olympic Winners
Peace Returned to Bastar, and with it, the Joy of Sports Returned, Where Once People Were Afraid to Even Set Foot, Today Thousands of Players are Playing: Chief Minister
An Honorarium of ₹1 Crore 95 Lakh 20 Thousand Transferred to the Bank Accounts of 130 Players
Raipur, March 21, 2025 / All of you have illuminated Chhattisgarh’s name on the national stage with your hard work, talent, and passion. This is not just your victory, but the victory of the entire state. You are the diamonds of the state’s sports world. The government will refine you, hone you, and take you to the international stage. Every possible resource and support will be made available to you. Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Dev Sai said this today while honoring the athletes of Chhattisgarh who won medals in the Goa and Uttarakhand National Games at the National Sports Winner Felicitation Ceremony held at the Chief Minister’s residence. At the ceremony, the Chief Minister honored 72 medal-winning players of Chhattisgarh in the 37th National Games held in Goa in the year 2023 and 58 medal-winning players of Chhattisgarh in the 38th National Games held in Uttarakhand in the year 2025.
While honoring the players, Chief Minister Shri Sai said that all of you are the pride of Chhattisgarh. You have not only won medals, but have also increased the prestige of the entire state. All of you have raised Chhattisgarh’s head with pride. Chief Minister Shri Sai called upon the players to now illuminate the name of Chhattisgarh and India on global platforms like the Asiad, Commonwealth, and Olympics.
In his address, Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Dev Sai said that today we all feel very proud to honor the players who won the National Games in Goa and Uttarakhand. All of you have illuminated the name of Chhattisgarh with your शानदार performances, however much praise is given to you, it is less.
Chief Minister Shri Sai said that we have honored the 72 players of the state who won medals in Goa with an amount of ₹1 crore 7 lakh 60 thousand, and the 58 players who won National Games in Uttarakhand with an amount of ₹87 lakh 60 thousand. Thus, through the ceremony, a total honorarium of ₹1 crore 95 lakh 20 thousand is being transferred to the accounts of 130 national medal-winning players of Chhattisgarh.
Our Government has Announced Special Awards for Olympic Winning Players
Chief Minister Shri Sai said that our government has announced special awards for the players of the state who will bring medals in the Olympic Games. Our government has decided to give ₹3 crore to the players who win gold medals in the Olympic Games, ₹2 crore to the players who win silver medals, and ₹1 crore to the players who win bronze medals.
The Return of Sports in the Bastar Region, a Symbol of New Hope and Faith
Chief Minister Shri Sai said that after enduring years of Maoist terror, when peace returned to Bastar, sports also returned, we organized Bastar Olympics there. He said that where people were once afraid to even set foot, today thousands of players are playing there. Tremendous enthusiasm was seen among the people, it would have happened rarely in the entire country that 1 lakh 65 thousand participants took part in a sports event and that too such an event that took place in Bastar division where the population is quite sparse compared to the remaining places. In this, such people also took part, who had lost their limbs in Naxal violence. Surrendered Naxalites also participated. Families affected by Naxal violence also participated. Hopes of sports lovers of the state have increased considerably with this event.
The Government is Making Efforts to Provide Excellent Sports Infrastructure to the Players
The Chief Minister said that the players of our Chhattisgarh have a lot of strength. We are preparing excellent infrastructure for sports in Chhattisgarh. We have started 7 new centers of Khelo India. Chhattisgarh has all kinds of sports talent. Keeping this in mind, we have made special arrangements for coaching for different types of sports. We have started three new academies this year. We have started tennis in Raipur, hockey in Rajnandgaon and Mallakhamb academy in Narayanpur.
Traditional Games will get a New Life: Chhattisgarh Krida Protsahan Yojana of ₹20 crore