Lucknow, Oct 1 (PTI) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday felicitated the medalists, participating players and coaches of the Paris Olympics and Paralympics 2024 from Uttar Pradesh.
Speaking at a ceremony organised at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan here to honour athletes who brought pride to the country and Uttar Pradesh on a global arena, Adityanath shared his mantra for success with the youth and athletes.
“Drugs lead to destruction. Those who turn to drugs will not achieve anything significant in life,” Adityanath said.
He noted that smartphones have become the greatest challenge for today’s young generation, affecting their time and efforts.
In the programme ‘Jinhone Badhaya Desh Ka Maan, Aisi Pratibhaon Ko Samman’, 14 Olympians and Paralympic athletes were honoured. During the felicitation ceremony, Adityanath distributed prize money of Rs 22.70 crore to these athletes who brought honour to the state and the country at large.
The event was attended by seven medal-winning Olympians and Paralympians, as well as seven other participants from the games.
The honoured medal winners included Praveen Kumar, Suhas LY, Ajit Singh, Preeti Pal, Simran, Lalit Upadhyay, and Raj Kumar Pal.
Emphasising that every competition, whether small or large, provides an opportunity for athletes to progress, Adityanath said, “Today, the sports environment in the country has transformed. The results of the systematic efforts made over the last decade for the promotion of sports and athletes, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, are evident to everyone.” He added, “The Khelo India Abhiyan, Fit India Movement, and Sansad Khel Pratiyogita launched by Prime Minister Modi have transformed the sports environment across the country.” Highlighting the infrastructure development for athletes, Aditynath said, “The double-engine government is continuously focusing on this. Currently, Uttar Pradesh has 84 stadiums, 67 multi-purpose halls, 38 swimming pools, 15 synthetic hockey stadiums, and 3 synthetic running tracks ready.” The state aims to build playgrounds and open gyms in over 57,000-gram panchayats, mini stadiums in all 826 development blocks, and stadiums in all districts, he said.
Adityanath stated that former athletes from international, Olympic, Paralympic, Commonwealth, Asian Games, and World Championships are being appointed as trainers to coach young players.
He further mentioned that the state government has introduced the Laxman Award for athletes participating in any international competition and the Rani Laxmibai Award for female athletes, which includes both a cash prize and a citation.
He said the state government provides assistance of Rs 20,000 to players receiving national-level awards and offers monthly financial support to elderly athletes.
The Eklavya Krida Kosh has been formed in the state and noted that the first sports university, named after Major Dhyanchand, is being constructed in Meerut.
He said that the state government has decided to appoint athletes who elevate the state’s and country’s pride in sports as gazetted officers.
He said players will be appointed as Deputy Superintendents of Police, Naib Tehsildars, Revenue Tax Officers and District Youth Welfare Officers.
Uttar Pradesh’s athletes delivered outstanding performances at the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, securing six medals, including one gold.
Praveen Kumar, a para high jumper from Gautam Buddha Nagar, won the Gold medal at the 2024 Paralympics and received a cash prize of Rs 6 crore.
Lalit Upadhyay from Varanasi and Rajkumar Pal from Ghazipur, who played for the Indian hockey team, earned Bronze medals in the Olympics and were awarded Rs 1 crore each.
UP IAS officer Suhas LY secured a Silver medal in para-badminton, while Ajit Singh from Etawah won Silver in the javelin throw event in para-athletics. Both were awarded Rs 4 crore each for their achievements.
Preeti Pal from Muzaffarnagar won Bronze medals in both the 100m and 200m events, receiving a total of Rs 4 crore, while Simran from Ghaziabad earned a Bronze medal in the 200m race in her category and was awarded Rs 2 crore.
Besides them, Parul Chaudhary, Anu Rani, Priyanka Goswami, Prachi Chaudhary, Sakshi Kasana, Dipesh Kumar, and Yash Kumar received incentives of Rs 10 lakh each for bringing honour to Uttar Pradesh through their participation in the Paris Olympics and Paralympic Games.
Adityanath also honoured four trainers who coached the athletes for the Paris Olympics and Paralympics. PTI ABN HIG
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