Chandigarh, May 24 -- Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday conferred 87 players with the prestigious Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award and also honoured 1,070 medal-winning sportspersons from different disciplines.
The state government also distributed prize money worth Rs 32.05 crore among players through cheques.
Addressing a felicitation ceremony here, Mann said the day marked a historic moment for Punjab as 87 players were conferred with the prestigious Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award while 1,070 medal-winning sportspersons from different disciplines were also honoured.
"The Punjab government has not only honoured Olympic and Asian Games medalists with Rs 1 crore each but has also provided jobs to nine medal-winning players," he added.
"The players of Punjab have brought immense pride to the country and the state through their achievements on international platforms. It is our responsibility to stand firmly with them and ensure they receive the respect, recognition, and support they deserve," he said.
Among the top honourees, Indian Women's Cricket Team Captain Harmanpreet Kaur and all-rounder Amanjot Kaur received Rs 1.50 crore each following their historic international cricket victories.
In shooting, world championship medalists Amanpreet Singh and Neeraj Kumar were awarded Rs 1.54 crore and Rs 1.52 crore respectively, while Kirandeep Kaur and Kritika Sharma received Rs 50 lakh each.
Rising shooter Vijayveer Sidhu was honoured with Rs 28.50 lakh, Wushu player Kushal Kumar received Rs 25 lakh, while para-powerlifting world champion Paramjit Kumar was awarded Rs 55 lakh for his remarkable international achievements.
Maharaja Ranjit Singh Awards were distributed across multiple yearly cycles to recognise consistent excellence in sports, he said.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.