The Odisha government will provide Rs 6 crore and a Group A post to ace shuttler Pramod Bhagat, who scripted history by winning a Gold medal at the Tokyo Paralympics 2020.
"Pramod Bhagat, Para-badminton Gold medal winner at Tokyo Paralympics is eligible for the cash award of Rs 6 crore. He will be handed over the cheque by the Chief Minister after his arrival in Bhubaneswar. He will also be eligible for a Group A level government job," the sports and youth services department said in a statement on Wednesday.
The state government is committed to support the sportspersons and para-sportspersons to achieve their potential, it said.
Earlier, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had interacted with the Odisha Olympians and para-Olympians, who had qualified for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics on July 8, 2021 and wished them good luck.
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To motivate them, he also announced cash awards for winning medals - Rs 6 crore for Gold medal, Rs 4 crore for Silver and Rs 2.5 crore for a Bronze medal. The government also provided a grant of Rs 15 lakh as support for their preparation for the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics.
The state has already handed over cheques for Rs 2.5 crore to Odisha players in the Bronze medal winning Indian Hockey Team -- Birendra Lakra and Amit Rohidas.
"The state government is proud of the achievements of our Olympians and para-Olympians and will continue to support them for their future championships," the department added.