In a major announcement, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath revealed that the state government will designate space for the Rowing Federation of India (RFI) at the Water Sports Complex near Ramgarhtal to create a world-class rowing sports center. He emphasized the government's commitment to enhance water sports opportunities across major lakes in the state.

Speaking during the closing ceremony of the 25th Sub Junior National Rowing Championship at Ramgarhtal, the Chief Minister highlighted the significant potential for rowing in Uttar Pradesh and the necessity of developing local talent.

“Our rowers have the ability to compete and win medals in the Olympics and other international competitions. To nurture these talents, the government will allocate space in the state-of-the-art water sports complex near Ramgarhtal for the establishment of a rowing sports center, as requested by the Rowing Federation of India. The state government will also provide comprehensive support to advance the center,” he said.

The Chief Minister pointed out that Uttar Pradesh is rich in natural lakes and that similar initiatives will be launched to expand rowing activities in those areas. He celebrated the accomplishments of state athletes who have excelled in various international rowing competitions, including Laxman Awardees Puneet Baliyan and Kudrat Ali, as well as Arvind Singh from Bulandshahr, Mohammad Azad from Sultanpur, Lokesh Kumar from Hapur, and Rajesh Kumar from Sant Kabir Nagar. These athletes have brought significant pride to the state at both national and international levels.

Yogi Adityanath stressed that sports contribute not only to physical and mental health but also present promising career opportunities. He shared that the state government has implemented a sports policy that offers direct government employment to athletes from Uttar Pradesh who have secured medals in prestigious competitions like the Olympics, Asian Games, and Commonwealth Games.

“Lalit Upadhyay, who earned a medal in hockey at the Tokyo Olympics, has been appointed as a Deputy SP in the UP Police, and today, we announced a job offer to Olympic medalist Rajkumar Pal,” the Chief Minister said. He noted that over 500 athletes have already been granted government jobs under this initiative.

The Chief Minister outlined several initiatives taken by the state to promote sports and inspire athletes. This includes the rapid development of sports grounds and open gyms across all 57,000 gram panchayats, as well as the establishment of mini stadiums at the block level and full-sized stadiums at the district level.

He also mentioned the swift progress of the construction of Uttar Pradesh’s first world-class sports university, named after hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand, in Meerut.

To further encourage athletes, the state government has announced substantial cash prizes for Olympic medalists. Individual gold medalists will receive ₹6 crore, silver medalists ₹4 crore, and bronze medalists ₹2 crore. In team events, gold medalists will get ₹3 crore, silver medalists ₹2 crore, and bronze medalists ₹1 crore. Additionally, every state athlete participating in the Olympics will receive an incentive of ₹10 lakh.

For achievements in the Asian Games, gold medalists will receive ₹3 crore, silver medalists ₹1.5 crore, and bronze medalists ₹75 lakh. Winners of the Commonwealth Games and World Championships will be awarded ₹1.5 crore for gold, ₹75 lakh for silver, and ₹50 lakh for bronze. Similar cash prizes are also available for winners of the SAF and National Games.

The Chief Minister stated that the government is engaging experienced athletes as coaches, providing them with a monthly honorarium of ₹1.5 lakh. Furthermore, Padma award-winning athletes from Uttar Pradesh will receive financial assistance of ₹20,000 per month.

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