CHANDIGARH, AUG 3 : Haryana Olympic Association president Khel Ratan Abhey Singh Chautala today announced a cash award of Rs one crore for any Haryana player winning gold medal in Beijing Olympics.
Speaking on the occasion of Youth Baton Relay at Dundahera on the Delhi-Haryana Border, Abhey Chautala said that the Beijing Olympics silver medalist from Haryana would be given a cash award of Rs 50 lakh and bronze medalist would be richer by Rs 25 lakh.
It may be recalled that it was Om Prakash Chautala, the then Haryana Chief Minister, who had announced a cash award of Rs one crore to any Haryana player winning gold in the Athens Olympics.
Strongly criticizing the Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda for not attending the Youth Baton Relay of the Commonwealth Games to be held in Pune from October 12 to 18, Abhey said "if the Chief Minister was not available for this prestigious function, he could have deputed any of his ministers. The government should keep politics out of sports."
Abhey Chautala, who is also president of the Indian Amateur Boxing Association, said that nine players out of a 56-member Indian contingent for Beijing Olympics, belonged to Haryana. He was confident that the Indian team would give their best performance. Chautala had very high hopes on boxers, four of them hailed from Haryana.
Chautala thanked Suresh Kalmadi, MP, President IOA and Chairman Organizing Committee for Commonwealth Youth Games Pune 2008, for providing the first opportunity to Haryana to receive the Youth Baton Relay which would further boost sports activities in the state.
Tomorrow afternoon, Haryana Olympic Association general secretary Dr Mahinder Singh Malik, IPS (Retd), former Director General of Police, will give a warm send off to the Youth Baton Relay at Palari, the last village of the Haryana. From Palari, the relay team will leave for Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh.
Former chairman of Minor Communities Tarlochan Singh, who presided over the function at Dundahera praised Mr Chautala for promoting sports and fanning sports culture in the state and the country. Appreciating the efforts of Dr Malik, Tarlochan Singh said that in the Athens Olympics, when Dr Malik was president of the Wrestling Federation of India, seven wrestlers would included in the Indian team for 2004 Athens Olympics.
Dr Malik said that this time only three Indian wrestlers, including Yogeshwar Dutt of Haryana, had qualified for Beijing Olympics. "The present wrestling standard had nosedived as only three wrestlers were in the Indian team. Wrestling and boxing are the two sports disciplines where India can hope for podium finish in Olympics."
Earlier, the Youth Batan Relay was given a tumultuous welcome at Dundahera. The members of the Baton Relay team were given a rousing welcome at Aggarwal Dharamshala at old Gurgaon. Students and spectators lined up on both sides of the road to accord welcome to the members of the relay team which was taken out in a big procession. More than 100 motorcyclists were leading the baton relay. Among those present on the occasion were chairman organizing committee Satish Pardhan, Member Parliament, Gopi Chand Gehlot, Lt Gen Raj Kadiyan, office bearers of the State and District Sports Associations and outstanding sportspersons, including Olympian MK Kaushik, Shakti Singh, Geeta Zutshi, Bhim Singh, Chander Pal (athletics), Asan Kumar, Rammehar Singh, K K Godara, (wrestling), Omprakash, Dalel Singh, Amir Singh and Duli Chand (volleyball), Mehtab Singh, Jitendra Kumar (boxing).
HOA Duirector HS Bhadu is the coordinator of the baton relay in Haryana. The relay team will pass through Gurgaon, Jhajjar, Rohtak and Sonepat before entering Uttar Pradesh.