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Haryana CM honours 132 Asian Games medallists with ₹189 crore

Chief minister Nayab Singh Saini presented cash awards at Bhim Stadium in Bhiwani.

By , Sports writer

· 2 min read

Asian Games
Asian Games (file photo) Photo: Bank Melli Iran / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini honoured 132 athletes with cash awards totalling ₹189.3 crore for Asian Games and Para Asian Games performances at a ceremony in Bhiwani, Hindustan Times reported.

Key takeaways

  • 132 athletes received awards worth ₹189.3 crore
  • Haryana athletes won 32 Asian Games medals, including 14 gold
  • Haryana para-athletes won 31 medals at the Para Asian Games
  • 260 sportspersons appointed to government jobs under state sports policy

3 crore at a state-level ceremony at Bhim Stadium in Bhiwani, Hindustan Times reported. The awards recognised performances at the Asian Games and Para Asian Games.

Saini said a medal may only take moments to be placed around an athlete’s neck, but earning it demands a lifetime of dedication.

He said behind every medal there were years of training, sacrifices and the courage to rise again after defeat, and that the ceremony recognised the athletes’ achievements as well as the contributions of their parents, coaches, teachers and support staff.

Haryana’s medal tally

Saini said India finished fourth at the Asian Games with 85 medals, of which Haryana athletes won 32, including 14 gold. He said two out of every three gold medals won by India came from Haryana’s athletes.

Saini said India recorded its best-ever performance at the Para Asian Games with 114 medals, including 31 won by Haryana’s para-athletes, who secured nine gold medals, accounting for nearly 30% of India’s gold tally.

Saini cited the performances of boxers Ankush Panghal and Parveen Hooda, who won gold medals, and praised Haryana’s contribution to the men’s and women’s hockey teams that won gold at the Asian Games and secured qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

About the Asian Games

The Asian Games, also known as Asiad, is a continental multi-sport event held every four years for athletes of Asia. The Games are recognised by the International Olympic Committee and are the second largest multi-sport event after the Olympic Games.

The 2026 Asian Games are scheduled to be held in Aichi Prefecture in Japan from 19 September to 4 October 2026, with several competitions starting from 10 September.

Nagoya, the capital city of Aichi Prefecture, is set to be the third Japanese city to host the Asian Games, after Tokyo in 1958 and Hiroshima in 1994.

The 2026 Asian Para Games are scheduled to be held from 18 to 24 October 2026 around Aichi Prefecture, with Nagoya set to be the first Japanese city to host the Asian Para Games.

What happens next

Eligible athletes are being offered government jobs under the state’s sports policy, and 260 outstanding sportspersons had been appointed to Group A, B and C posts under the state’s recruitment rules, Hindustan Times reported.

Monthly honorariums for recipients of major sports awards had also been increased, with Khel Ratna, Dronacharya, Arjuna, Dhyan Chand and Tenzing Norgay awardees receiving ₹20,000 per month and Bhim Award recipients receiving ₹5,000.

Saini said Haryana disbursed ₹931 crore in cash awards to 17,676 athletes, including the latest awards. Saini said Haryana spent around ₹1,100 crore on sports infrastructure over the past 12 years. 46 crore in Bhiwani.

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