Vadodara

A sportsperson from Gujarat winning a gold medal in the Olympic Games will be rewarded with Rs 5 crore cash prize, Chief Minister Anandiben Patel has announced.

“It is my dream to give a prize of Rs 5 crore to a sportsperson from Gujarat winning a gold medal in the Olympics,” she said.

The announcement has been made ahead of the next year’s Olympic Games at Rio De Janeiro (August 5 to 21).

Patel was speaking after inaugurating the Swami Vivekananda Residential Centre of Excellence Academy (SVRCEA) at Sama Indoor Stadium here last evening.

The Sports Authority of Gujarat-managed centre, which trains athletes from 14 disciplines, aims to spot and groom medal winning players from Vadodara, Ahmedabad, Nadiad and Bhavnagar.

On the occasion, she distributed financial assistance worth more than Rs 1 crore to 37 players under Shaktidoot Yojana for their achievements.

“I am looking forward to the day when the State Government will pay assistance worth Rs 10 crore to the players under Shaktidoot Yojana.”

Patel said her Government was committed to provide best training facilities to sportspersons.

“Vadodara will become a sports hub of Gujarat with establishment of infrastructural facilities in Sports University located in the city.”

She appealed to the students not to treat sports as a secondary activity. “We are committed to make Gujarat the No.1 State in sports like other sectors,” the Chief Minister said.

PTI