Chandigarh, April 22 : Haryana Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that the state government is committed to providing better facilities to sportspersons. He directed that special plans be prepared to ensure high-quality infrastructure and support for athletes training in state sports stadiums and sports nurseries. He also emphasized setting up excellence centers focusing on specific elite sports and issuing unique IDs to athletes. These directives were given during a review.
These directives were given during a review meeting held under the Chairmanship of Chief Minister of the Sports Department held at the Secretariat on Monday late evening. Minister of State for Sports, Sh. Gaurav Gautam was also present.
During the meeting, a new portal for managing cash rewards and scholarships for sportspersons was launched. Through this portal, athletes can apply for scholarships and cash rewards provided by the Sports Department, ensuring transparent and convenient access to benefits. Since 2014, under the cash reward scheme, 16,305 athletes have been disbursed Rs. 599.43 crore by the department. The Sports officers present in the meeting apprised the Chief Minister regarding the department’s achievements. They highlighted that the Sports Department is providing equal opportunities for all citizens to participate in sports, encouraging collective participation, and promoting excellence. Discussing the state’s sports infrastructure, officers shared that Haryana presently has 3 state-level, 21 district-level, 25 sub-division level stadiums, 163 Rajiv Gandhi Sports Complexes, and 245 mini rural stadiums, all offering various facilities to athletes. Additionally, there are around 1,500 sports nurseries, with a target to increase this number to 2,000 by the financial year 2025–2026.