Maharashtra to Honour 331 Athletes on National Sports Day with Rs.28.7 Crore Awards

In a special celebration on National Sports Day (August 29), the Maharashtra government will felicitate 331 medal-winning athletes at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Mahalunge-Balewadi. The event will also mark the inauguration of the state’s ambitious project, ‘Mission Lakshyavedh’, designed to provide cutting-edge sports training for young talent.

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Dignitaries to Attend Ceremony

The ceremony, beginning at 4 pm in the weightlifting hall, will see the presence of top leaders including Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, Union Minister Muralidhar Mohol, Higher Education Minister Chandrakant Patil, Sports Minister Manikrao Kokate, along with MPs, MLAs, senior officials, and sports icons. Nearly 300 athletes, 100 coaches, and 100 officials will participate in the programme.

Maharashtra’s Medal Tally

At the National Games in Uttarakhand earlier this year, Maharashtra secured a remarkable 201 medals — 55 gold, 70 silver, and 76 bronze — emerging as the top-ranking state. As recognition, the state government will distribute a total of ₹28.70 crore in cash awards. Gold medal winners will receive ₹7 lakh each, silver medallists ₹5 lakh, and bronze winners ₹3 lakh. Coaches will also be rewarded with ₹50,000, ₹30,000, and ₹20,000 respectively.

Star Athletes Recognised

Among the awardees are Olympic medallist Swapnil Kusale, Asian medallist Rahi Sarnobat, Olympian Devendra Valmiki, and World Champion Priyanka Ingle. Rising star Aditi Hegde, who created history by bagging eight medals, will receive a record ₹32 lakh cash prize.

Mission Lakshyavedh Launch

The highlight of the event will be the launch of ‘Mission Lakshyavedh’ high-performance centre. Director of Sports and Youth Services, Sudhir More, revealed that the Maharashtra government has allocated an annual budget of ₹160 crore for this initiative. The first phase will cover six disciplines — athletics, hockey, wrestling, weightlifting, rowing, and lawn tennis — offering international-level training and infrastructure to prepare athletes for global competitions.

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