Chandigarh, June 28 -- The Haryana government has amended its sports gradation policy to recognise the Haryana State Games organised by the Haryana Olympic Association (HOA) to make sportspersons participating in HOA-organised events eligible for sports gradation certificates. The Haryana State Games, organised by HOA, were held from November 2 to 8 last year. The June 26 policy amendment has been made applicable retrospectively from November 1, 2025, covering the 2025 edition of the Games. Medal-winning athletes of Haryana State Games will thus get a Grade-D certificate, making them eligible for Group D jobs. The June 26 policy amendment effectively resolves the eight-month-long contentious issue which had triggered a dispute between the state sports department and HOA with the association president, Jaswinder Meenu Beniwal, unilaterally announcing in October 2025 that sports department would issue sports gradation certificates to players on the basis of certificates received by sportspersons participating in the HOA State Olympic Games. The sports department, subsequently, wrote back to the HOA president on October 19, 2025 that since the state games organised by HOA are not covered under the government's November 15, 2018 guidelines for sports gradation certificate, the department will not issue such certificates on the basis of the State Olympic Games certificates. As per the November 2018 guidelines, only those events organised by Haryana state associations recognised by the concerned National Federation affiliated to the Indian Olympic Association or Haryana sports department were eligible for sports gradation certificates. The June 26 amendment also removes certain ambiguities by clearly assigning different state-level sports competitions to separate organising authorities for the purpose of grant of sports gradation certificate. Medal-winning sportspersons participating in Haryana State Games organised by Haryana Olympic Association, recognised by Indian Olympic Association or Haryana sports department, Haryana state championships organised by Haryana sports associations, recognised by concerned National Sports Federation affiliated to the Union ministry of youth affairs and sports, Haryana State Women Sports, Haryana State Khel Mahakumbh, Haryana State Rural and Panchayats Sports organised by Haryana sports department, will be eligible for grant of Grade-D gradation certificate. The sports events, disciplines in these tournaments, championships and games shall be as per International Olympic Charter, IOA, concerned world body of the particular game, the notification said....