Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Monday asserted that the state has firmly established itself as the sports powerhouse of India, producing champions alongside crops from its soil. Addressing a large gathering at Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Gurugram after inaugurating the Chief Minister’s Cup and honouring medal winners of the 38th National Games, Saini said Haryana is no longer known only as the land of farmers and soldiers, but has carved a distinct national identity as the cradle of sporting excellence.
Making the event a landmark moment for the state’s sporting ecosystem, the Chief Minister distributed nearly ₹24 crore as cash awards to 417 medal winners and participants of the 38th National Games. He also felicitated Padma Shri awardee and Indian women’s hockey goalkeeper Savita Punia, calling her a symbol of Haryana’s grit, discipline and global sporting stature. The event was attended by Industry and Commerce Minister Rao Narbir Singh, Pataudi MLA Bimla Chaudhary, Sports Department Principal Secretary Vijay Singh Dahiya, Director Parth Gupta and senior officials.
“Haryana’s soil does not only grow crops, it produces champions,” CM Saini said, underlining that from national championships to the Olympics, the echo of Haryana’s success is heard across India. He said the government’s clear objective is to ensure that no talented athlete from Haryana is held back due to lack of resources, facilities or institutional support.
Highlighting the state’s performance at the 38th National Games held in Uttarakhand, the Chief Minister said Haryana’s athletes once again demonstrated their dominance at the national level. As many as 689 players from the state participated across 33 sporting disciplines and collectively won 153 medals, including 48 gold, 47 silver and 58 bronze medals. He said this achievement is the result of years of hard work, sacrifice and a strong support system created by the state.
Saini described athletes as role models and a source of inspiration for society. He reiterated that the Haryana government provides ₹7 lakh to gold medal winners, ₹5 lakh to silver medal winners and ₹3 lakh to bronze medal winners at the National Games, while all participants are also given an incentive amount of ₹51,000 each. He credited parents and coaches for nurturing talent and instilling discipline, which has enabled Haryana’s players to bring glory to both the state and the nation.
Encouraging participants of the three-day Chief Minister’s Cup, CM Saini said around 3,600 players are competing in six sports disciplines. Under the scheme, gold medal winners will receive ₹1 lakh, silver medal winners ₹70,000 and bronze medal winners ₹50,000 as cash prizes. He said the CM Cup reflects the government’s vision of identifying and nurturing talent from every village and city, creating equal opportunities for youth across Haryana.
Linking sports with nation-building, the Chief Minister said that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, initiatives such as Khelo India and Fit India have transformed sports into a mass movement. “Sports today are not just about competition, they are a means of nation-building. Healthy youth form the foundation of a developed India,” Saini said, urging athletes to embody discipline, humility and patriotism, and to treat both victory and defeat as lessons for growth.
Making a major policy statement, CM Saini said the Haryana government has more than doubled the sports budget to strengthen the state’s sporting infrastructure and athlete welfare. Over the last 11 years, nearly ₹989 crore has been spent on developing sports facilities across Haryana. The sports budget, which stood at ₹275 crore in 2014–15, has been increased to ₹602.18 crore in the current financial year. He added that Olympic, Paralympic and other international medal winners from Haryana are being awarded cash prizes of up to ₹6 crore.
Detailing infrastructure expansion, the Chief Minister said Haryana has established a dedicated Sports University at Rai in Sonipat. The state currently has three state-level sports complexes, 21 district-level stadiums, 25 sub-divisional stadiums, 163 Rajiv Gandhi Rural Sports Complexes, 245 rural stadiums and 382 indoor gyms in villages. In addition, facilities such as 10 swimming pools, 11 synthetic athletics tracks, 14 hockey astro-turfs, two synthetic football surfaces and nine multipurpose halls have been developed. Sports facilitation centres have also been constructed in 16 districts at a cost of ₹3 crore.
CM Saini further said that under the Haryana Sports Equipment Provision Scheme, over 15,600 players have already been provided with sports equipment. At present, 1,472 sports nurseries are operational in the state, where more than 37,000 children receive regular training. Athletes aged 8 to 14 are given ₹1,500 per month, while those aged 15 to 19 receive ₹2,000 per month as financial assistance.
To ensure long-term security for athletes, Saini said the government has implemented the Haryana Outstanding Sportsperson Service Rules, 2021, under which 550 new posts have been created in the Sports Department and 231 players have already been given government jobs. A dedicated rehabilitation centre for injured athletes has also been established at Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex in Panchkula.
Addressing the gathering, Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Gaurav Gautam called the event historic, noting that for the first time in the country, over 800 players were honoured on a single platform. He said Haryana, despite its small population, continues to dominate national and international medal tallies. He credited CM Nayab Singh Saini’s leadership for enabling the direct transfer of incentive amounts to athletes with a single click, calling it a recognition of their struggle, discipline and dedication.
Gautam said that under the combined vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and CM Nayab Singh Saini, Haryana is rapidly emerging as a sporting superpower. Initiatives such as the CM Cup, sports nurseries, academies and Mission Olympic 2036 ‘Vijayi Bhav’ are providing athletes with world-class training, insurance cover, free treatment up to ₹20 lakh for injuries, low-interest loans and access to elite coaching. The ultimate goal, he said, is to ensure Haryana’s athletes play a leading role in winning medals for India at the 2036 Olympics.
The event was also attended by Deputy Commissioner Ajay Kumar, Vice Chancellor of Haryana Sports University Rai Ashok Kumar, senior officers and eminent personalities, marking another milestone in Haryana’s journey towards becoming India’s undisputed sports capital under the leadership of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.