The new West Bengal Government has significantly hiked the cash award for medal-winning athletes at different elite competitions, including the Olympics, World championships, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.
West Bengal Sports Minister Nisith Pramanik on Tuesday announced that an Olympic gold medallist from the state would be awarded with ₹8 crore instead of an earlier sanctioned amount of ₹25 lakh.
As per the announcement, silver and bronze medal winners will get ₹6 crore and ₹4 crore respectively.
Pramanik also announced cash award for medal winners at the Asian Games (gold: ₹5 crore, silver: ₹4 crore, bronze: ₹2 crore), World championships (₹2 crore, ₹1.5 crore and ₹1 crore), Commonwealth Games (₹1.5 crore, ₹75 lakh, ₹50 lakh) and other events.
Pramanik said the new Sports Governance Act would be adopted immediately. He also announced employment opportunities for sportspersons, setting up of new sports infrastructure and comprehensive support for athletes to help them excel in their career.
Published on May 19, 2026