Punjab awards Rs 1 cr each to 8 Olympic hockey players

Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday felicitated eight Olympic hockey players of the state with a cash prize of Rs 1 crore each. In his address, the Chief Minister said it is a historic occasion as these sons of the soil who have brought laurels for the state and country are being honoured.

He said these players have brought pride and satisfaction to the entire country with this momentous win, adding, that he had personally watched every hockey match of the team and the spectacular performance by these players have made all feel proud.

The Chief Minister also gave Rs 15 lakh each to 11 other participants of the Olympic Games. The Chief Minister said it was elated to see the Indian team defeating Australia after a gap of 52 years, adding equally superb were the matches against Spain, England and others.

He said winning a medal by the team is like a dream come true for every countryman and the best thing is that the team was led by Captain Harmanpreet, Singh, who steered the team to victory.