Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh will honour 93 players excelling at the National and International level on July 9 with the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award, awardees will be felicitated with Rs. 2 lakh cash, said Sports and Youth Affairs Minister, Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi.
"Every player receiving the award would get Rs. 2 lakh cash, Trophy of Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ji in armour atop a steed, Blazer and a Scroll. Punjab Government is fully committed to uplift the standard of sports and encourage the players under which the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Awards pending since 7 years, would be given to the players of State," Sodhi said.
"A total of 81 players excelling in the sporting arena from 2011-2018 have been selected for the award besides 12 other veteran players who have already been felicitated by the Union Government," he added.
Detailing more, the minister said that 15 players for sporting achievements in 2011, 14 players for 2012, 5 players for 2013, 5 players each for 2014 & 2015, 15 players for 2016, 7 players for 2017 and 10 players for 2018 have been chosen for the award.
In a major shift in the Sports Policy, It has been decided that the player from Punjab honoured with Padma Awards or Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award or Arjuna Award, would automatically get selected for Maharaja Ranjit Singh Award.
It is worth noting that Maharaja Ranjit Singh Awards were instituted in the year 1978 and 305 players have been honoured with it until 2010. It is also worth mentioning that the present Sports Minister of Punjab, Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi, A shooter of International repute, was conferred the award in 1978 itself, he further divulged.
( With inputs from ANI )