Sports2 min
Himachal Honours 419 Sportspersons With Rs 17.85 Crore in Him Ratna-2026 Awards
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu handed out cheques in Shimla and launched the Khelo Himachal campaign, which pairs sport with a push against drug abuse.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu handed out cheques worth Rs 17.85 crore to 419 sportspersons in Shimla on Saturday, rewarding athletes who earned medals and podium finishes at national and international events. The ceremony, held under the Him Ratna-2026 Awards, was the state's way of saying that Himachal Pradesh's players are noticed, and paid for.
The money is split by level of achievement. Fifty-one athletes were honoured for international performances, and they shared Rs 13.55 crore. The remaining 368 were recognised for excelling at the national level, with Rs 4.30 crore distributed among them. Every awardee walked away with a cheque, so the list reaches well beyond the handful of names that usually make headlines.
The biggest individual payouts went to athletes who reached the Asian Games-2026. Sawan Barwal received Rs 2.5 crore for his silver in the men's marathon, and Seema Kumari collected Rs 1.5 crore for bronze in the 10,000-metre race. Four players from the state, Ritu Negi, Pushpa Rana, Jyoti Thakur and Bhawana Thakur, were part of the Indian women's kabaddi side that won gold, and each received Rs 1 crore. State cricketer Renuka Thakur also got Rs 1 crore.
Sukhu told the gathering that these results came from years of training, coaching and family sacrifice, not from a single good day. He congratulated every medal winner, and he framed the awards as a thank-you to the people who helped each athlete get there.
The bigger announcement was the Khelo Himachal Campaign, which the state will kick off in Dharamsala on November 20. The campaign has a clear target: young people who might be drifting toward drug abuse, especially chitta, a dangerous substance the state has been trying to push back against. Organisers plan to use sport as the hook. Cricket, volleyball and kabaddi tournaments will run at sub-divisional, district and state levels, open to men and women aged 15 to 30.
The prize structure is generous for amateur competition. At the state level, the winning team takes Rs 21 lakh, the runner-up Rs 15 lakh and the second runner-up Rs 10 lakh. District winners earn Rs 2 lakh for first place, Rs 1.5 lakh for second and Rs 1 lakh for third. Sukhu also launched the campaign's official website and unveiled its mascot, giving the initiative a public face ahead of the tournaments.
Sports Minister Yadvinder Goma described the day as a proud moment in the state's sporting history. He said the government intends to build stronger sports infrastructure so that talented players from smaller towns and villages have a real shot at national and international success. For a state that punches above its weight in athletics and kabaddi, the message is that the next generation will have both the cash and the courts to keep going.
Read the full report at The Tribune.
FiledReliance IndustriesJammu and KashmirAndhra PradeshUnited StatesMaharashtraWorld Bank
