Medal winners receive cash award

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Feb 8: Union Sports Minister Sarbanda Sonowal today said, “The government has launched a new scheme, Target Olympic Podium (TOP), to select and train players for the next Olympics in Rio. Altogether 106 athletes shortlisted for the schemes and 67 of them are qualified to take part in the Olympic games.

Addessing the iugural session of CII North East Sports Conclave: Building Ecosystem for nurturing Sports today in the city, Sonowal further said, “In the coming Union Budget 2016, new schemes are being envisaged for identifying and training talent especially in the villages of the country.”

‘NEC Chairman’s Sports Awards’ were also presented to 220 sports persons of North East who have won medals in the 35th tiol Games in Kerela. The awards carried Rs 3 lakh for gold medal , 2 lakh for silver and  1 lakh for bronze. Around Rs 4.64 crores have been distributed among the players today.

Union Sports Minister Sarbanda Sonowal, who is the chairman of the organizing committee, SAG 2016, today expressed satisfaction over the successful beginning of 12th South Asian Games in Guwahati and Shillong respectively. He hoped the remaining eight days will also pass off successfully.

"Today is the fourth day. It has been a great success so far, thanks to the people of Guwahati and Shillong. I hope the remaining eight days will be more successful," Sonowal said during an interaction with media at Dr Zakir Hussain Aquatics Complex today where he also watched some of the fils of the swimming competition and conferred away medals to the winners.