Four to get Life-Time Achievement Award; 10 to get ‘Karnataka Kreeda Ratna’

Bengaluru :

Three sports persons from Mysuru — P.U. Navaneetha (Junior India and National-level basketball player from DYES, Mysore and Teresian College, Mysore), V.R. Sanoj (Asian volleyball player and bronze medal winner in 2010 who hails from H.D. Kote Taluk) and N. Lokesh (Cyclist from Mysuru) — have been chosen for the Ekalavya Award for 2013. A total of 15 sports persons will receive the Ekalavya award today at Vidhana Soudha at 5.30 pm.

Mysore-born Vikas Gowda, silver medal winner in the Asian Games in discus throw will also get a cash prize of Rs.15 lakh. This was announced by Sports Minister Abhay Chandra Jain at a press conference here yesterday.

Four senior sportspersons will be honoured with Life-time Achievement Awards while ten athletes have been chosen for Karnataka Kreeda Ratna Award, instituted for the first time to boost rural sports.

Ekalavya Awardees: M. Arshad (Athletics), D. Guruprasad (Badminton), P.U. Navaneetha (Basketball), Shodhan Kumar Rai (body building), D. Yashas (Chess), N. Lokesh (Cycling), Vishal Kumar (football), K.M. Somanna (Hockey), B.R. Nikshep (Tennis), B. Anand Kumar (Para badminton), Akshatha Poojari (Powerlifting), P.N. Prakash (Shooting), Ashwin Menon (Swimming), V.R. Sanoj (Volleyball) and Prema Huchannavar (Wrestling). The award includes a cash prize of Rs. 2 lakh and a memento.

Life-time Achievement Awardees Boxing coach G. Manoharan, Mani (Kabaddi), Mohd. Dadapeer (football) and M. Sumitra Kumar (bodybuilding). The award includes a cash prize of Rs. 1.5 lakh and a memento.

In addition to the above mentioned awards, the Minister also announced the Karnataka Kreeda Ratna, an award instituted to honour the achievements of sports personalities in rural sports.

Karnataka Kreeda Ratna Awardees: Santosh Naik (Atya patya), A.R. Shruthi (Ball badminton), Kumar S. Jagadeva, K.H. Vinay Kumar (kho-kho), Y. Maruti (Mallakhamb), M. Ishwarya (Mud wrestling), Mohd. Aquib (Throwball), Palimaru Devendra (Kambala), Gopal Kharvi (swimming with his feet tied) and S.C. Nagendra Swamy (Jala stambhana). The award includes a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh and a memento.

Govt. cash awards for medallists

Medallists from the Asian Games and the Asian Para Games stand to earn unprecedented rewards on the occasion. Gold, silver and bronze medallists will be presented cash awards of Rs. 25, 15 and 8 lakh respectively, the sums hiked after long-standing demands from athletes.

For the paralympic athletes, brought on par with the able-bodied for the first time, this represents a bonanza, with their awards previously being Rs.5, 3, and 1.5 lakh.

Ten medallists from the Asian Games and five from the Asian Para Games are on the list, with the total prize money nearing Rs. 3 crore.

source: http://www.starofmysore.com / Star of Mysore / Home> Sports  News / Thursday, November 06th, 2014