To encourage the youth and the upcoming generation of the National Capital, the Delhi Chief Minister (CM) Arvind Kejriwal and the Deputy CM Manish Sisodia felicitated the five Asian Games medalists on Friday by visiting the winner’s localities personally.

Kejriwal and Sisodia and senior leaders of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also visited and felicitated the coaches of players. Pinky Balhara won Silver Medal in Kurash, was felicitated at Neb Sarai. The other players felicitated at New Friends Colony were Tanvi Khanna won silver medal in Squash, Bachiraju Satyanarayana, Kiran Nadar and Rajeshwar Tewari bagged bronze in Bridge play.

“The Chief Minister felicitated them in their respective localities in presence of the Deputy CM, MLAs and local residents in huge numbers. The cheque of prize money for Silver Medalists, Rs 75 lakhs, was also handed over to the two silver medalists and Rs 50 lakh to the three bronze medalists who were felicitated,” said the spokesperson of Delhi Government.

The Coaches of all the players were rewarded with Rs 6 lakhs each. “This is for the first time that the Government is visiting the players in their respective areas to individually felicitate them in the middle of the people of the area. Earlier, the tradition was to felicitate them together at the Delhi Secretariat or a similar centralised venue. But the Government has took this to personally congratulated them in front of the entire society to encourage the other youths and children to join sports and come forward to achieve,” he added.

The AAP party led government has recently extended the prize money for the players who win medal at Asian games. The amount of the prize money was extended from Rs 20 lakhs to Rs 1 crore for Gold medal, Rs 14 lakh to Rs 75 lakhs for Silver medaland Rs lakh to Rs 50 lakh for Bronze medalists. The award money of the coaches has also been increased from Rs 3 lakhs to Rs 6 lakhs.