Gill sanctions monthly pension to four Asian Games medallists

Sports Minister M S Gill has sanctioned monthly pensions for four sportspersons including 2002 Asian Games gold medallist runner Saraswati Saha. "Dr M S Gill, Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, has sanctioned pension to four meritorious sportspersons belonging to various disciplines -- athletics, hockey and Shooting," a Sports Ministry hse said on Monday.

Apart from Saha, 1986 Asian Games gold medallist Vandana Pandurang, and two silver medal winners in Pranab Kumar Roy (in 1982) and Allan Schofield (in 1978) were the beneficiaries under a Central government scheme.
Saha and Pandurang will get Rs 7000 per month, while the other two will receive Rs 6,000 per month, the release said.
Under the scheme, introduced in July 1994 with the objective of rewarding meritorious sportspersons for their outstanding achievements with assured monthly pension, 554 athletes are currently getting an amount that ranges from Rs 10,000-Rs 3000 per month.
Those sportspersons, who have won medals in Olympics, Asian Games, World Cup or World Championships in the Olympic sports, Commonwealth Games and  Para–Olympic Games and who have retired from active sports and are above 30 years of age, are eligible for the pension, the release added.
Meanwhile, Gill also sanctioned an ex-gratia assistance of Rs 70,000 from National Welfare Fund for Sportspersons to Padma Chorol, a student of Moravian Mission School in Leh.
Choral has been selected to attend an Ice Hockey Leadership camp for women held at Vierumaki, Finland this month, organised by the International Ice Hockey Federation and the Sport Institute of Finland.
While the cost of lodging, boarding, local travel and training were sponsored by the SIF, the Ministry provided assistance towards meeting air travel cost, visa fee and insurance cost, another release said.