Why in news:

• Punjab sports minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer has announced that the new sports policy is being prepared by the sports department and will be completed and implemented very soon.

Key Points:

• The minister stated this after a marathon meeting to discuss the draft policy. In the three-hour-long meeting with the committee of senior officers and experts, it was emphasised that strenuous effort should be put in place to create a sports environment in Punjab.
• According to the official release, the draft policy proposes that players should get jobs as well as cash prizes for excelling in sports arena. The policy also proposes expansion of the scope of sports tournaments towards awarding cash prizes, finding new talent and providing budding players with a good platform and making schools and colleges the hub of sports, besides starting awards for coaches.
• It is important to note here that at present, Haryana offers the highest cash prize for excellence in sports in the region. While Haryana offers Rs 6 cr for an Olympics gold, Punjab offers Rs 2.5 cr for the same achievement. Similarly, for silver and bronze medals at the Olympics, Haryana offers Rs 4 cr and Rs 2.5cr, respectively. Punjab currently offers Rs 1.5 cr and Rs 1 cr for silver and bronze medals in Olympics, respectively. There is a vast difference in cash prizes for Asian Games and other international events as well.
• There is also a proposal to give priority in jobs to the sportsmen who have excelled at national and international levels. Emphasis will be placed on recruiting new coaches in the department and approval was given in principle to start a state award for coaches on the lines of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award given to players. In this regard, the committee also decided that the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award should be given every year.