Olympic champions to get Rs 75 lakh from government

NEW DELHI: The gold medal winners at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games will get Rs 75 lakh as prize money as the government today revised the Scheme of Special Awards to medal winners in international events.

According to the revision, the amount of award money for medal winners in Olympic Games (summer and winter) has been enhanced from existing Rs 50 lakh (gold medal), Rs 30 lakh (silver medal) and Rs 20 lakh (bronze medal) to Rs 75 lakh, Rs 50 lakh and Rs 30 lakh respectively.

The amount of award money for medal winners in Asian Games and Commonwealth Games has also been enhanced from existing Rs 20 lakh (gold medal), Rs 10 lakh (silver medal) and Rs 6 lakh (bronze medal) to Rs 30 lakh, Rs 20 lakh and Rs 10 lakh respectively.

In the category of the World Championships, Asian Championships and Commonwealth Championships, three separate categories of award money have been provided depending on whether the championships is held once in four years, once in two years or held annually.

Amount of award money for medallists of Paralympic Games (summer & winter), Para-Asian Games and Commonwealth Games (Para-Athletes) have been fixed at par with medallists of Olympic Games, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.

"IBSA World Championship of Blind, Deaflympics and Special Olympics (summer & winter) have been included in the revised scheme of special awards," a Sports Ministry press release said.

Under the revised scheme, the number of days of training/coaching imparted by coaches to medal winners preceding the event to be taken into account for deciding eligibility of coaches for award money have been reduced from existing 240 days to 180 days.