Shillong: The Meghalaya government handed over Rs 5 lakh as a cash award to Margaret Pathaw, who won gold in the 43rd World Arm Wrestling championship in Turkey.
She clinched the gold medal in the 60 kg left-hand category of the championship recently, defeating Santos Anna of Brazil.
Along with Pathaw, the state government also handed over cash awards of Rs 6.5 lakh to 10 other athletes who represented the country and brought laurels in various international arm wrestling and bodybuilding competitions.
The function was organised by the Department of sports and Youth Affairs to felicitate medal winners and athletes who represented the country at the XLIII World Armwrestling Championship, XXIV World Para-Arm-wrestling Championship at Antalya Turkey, PRO AM Universe Championship in Bangkok, Thailand and the WFF PRO AM Asia Pacific in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
Congratulating them, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said winners are not made overnight but they achieve success only through hard work and perseverance.
“We are taking the right steps to nurture our sports persons so that in the coming days, our athletes can compete at national and international events. With the proper strategy and planning, we are confident that all the investments that we have been making today will bear fruits in the days to come,” Sangma said while addressing the programme on Wednesday.
The Chief Minister also added that the formulation of the sports policy and youth policy has provided the blueprint and given direction to develop sports in the state.
The government has allocated Rs 500 crore for the development of sports infrastructure in the state, he said.
The chief minister expressed hope that better sports facilities can be provided in districts, subdivisions and blocks across the state in future.
Sangma also said in order to motivate and encourage sportspersons, the state government has increased the cash awards for sports achievers of the state.
“We are definitely open to providing more support in the form of incentives and cash awards to the athletes who will bring laurels to the state,” said Sangma.
Earlier in 2018, the cash incentive for a national games gold medal winner was Rs 7,500 but it was later increased in 2019 after the implementation of the new youth policy.
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