New Delhi [India], October 15 : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday felicitated kabaddi player Pawan Sehrawat, who was a member of the team that clinched gold in the Asian Games.
India stamped their dominance in kabaddi after they defeated Iran in a hard-fought match to claim gold in the 19th Asian Games.
Kejriwal also underlined the AAP government's initiatives to promote sports in Delhi.
"When one wins a medal, everyone announces some or the other prize. Very few governments come forward to help an athlete when he is struggling. Our government in Delhi, however, has some policies in this regard. One is 'Play and Progress'. If we see potential in children younger than 14 years of age, we give them Rs 2-3 lakh (every year) for coaching or food. Then there is 'Mission Excellence', as part of which national-level players are given Rs 16 lakh per year to enable them to prepare better for national and international sporting events," Kejriwal said at the felicitation ceremony.
The gold that India's men's kabaddi team clinched in the Hangzhou Asian Games was its eighth at the event.
India lost to Iran in the semi-final at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. India won seven gold medals in succession since kabaddi made its Asian Games debut in Beijing in 1990.
India recorded its best-ever performance in the Asian Games this year, winning 107 medals including 28 gold.
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