Shimla, Oct 31 Sportspersons who have brought laurels to Himachal Pradesh through their outstanding performances at national and international sporting events were honoured with the Him Ratna 2026 Awards at a state-level function held here on Saturday.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu presented cheques amounting to Rs.
17.85 crore to 419 outstanding sportspersons of the state. Of the awardees, 51 were recognised for their achievements in international competitions, while 368 were honoured for their outstanding performances at the national level.
Cheques worth Rs. 13.55 crore were presented to international-level sportspersons and Rs. 4.30 crore to national-level players, a statement issued here said.
The chief minister presented a cheque of Rs 2.50 crore to athlete Sawan Barwal for winning a silver medal in the men’s marathon at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan while athlete Seema Kumari received a cheque of Rs 1.50 crore for winning a bronze medal in the 10,000-metre race.
India also won the gold medal in women’s kabaddi at the competition and four players from Himachal Pradesh — Ritu Negi, Pushpa Rana, Jyoti Thakur and Bhawna Thakur — were part of the Indian team. Each of them was presented with a cheque of Rs. one crore. He also presented a cheque of Rs. one crore to Indian cricketer Renuka Thakur.
While congratulating all the medal winners, the chief minister said their success was the result of years of hard work, guidance from their coaches and the sacrifices made by their parents.
He said sports were an important part of education as they helped young people develop discipline, self-confidence and leadership qualities. He said the state government had significantly increased the award money to encourage athletes and recognise their achievements.
The chief minister said that every player winning a medal in a team event would also receive at least 25 percent of the total award money. The state cabinet has approved this provision.
He also announced an incentive of Rs 3 lakh each for national-level coaches and international referees. He said coaches and referees played an important role in the success of sportspersons and teams.
The CM further said that the state government had created government posts in the Youth, Service and Sports Department to provide employment opportunities to sportspersons.
He said that the state government would launch the ‘Khelo Himachal Campaign’ in Dharamshala from November 20 to make young people aware of the harmful effects of drug abuse, particularly the use of chitta.
Cricket, volleyball and kabaddi competitions will be organised as part of the campaign. Young men and women between 15 and 30 years of age will be eligible to participate.
On the occasion, the chief minister also launched the official website of the Khelo Himachal Campaign and unveiled its mascot.
(PTI News)
