Sports Infrastructure upgraded under New Sports Policy

Punjab Polity and Governance

In a major initiative to give thrust to sports in this border region, Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi, Sports and Youth Affairs and NRI Minister, today laid the foundation stone for the upgrading sports infrastructure, including setting up of Astroturf hockey stadium in the Ferozepur district.
Sodhi said Rs 6.22 crore would be spent on hockey stadium, besides Rs 7 crore for upgrading the stadium to make it world-class with an all-weather swimming pool and floodlights.
Sodhi said that under the New Sports Policy only players would be allowed to take exam for government jobs in sports quota to encourage and provide better job opportunities to them.
Also, under the New Sports Policy, the Olympics gold medal winners would get a reward of Rs 2.50 crore along with a government job, while winners at Asian and Commonwealth Games would be given Rs 1 crore along with a job. Likewise, silver and bronze medal winners in Olympics would get Rs 75 lakh and Rs 50 lakh each.