GUJARAT’S government on Wednesday (March 9) announced its first-ever Sports Policy which lays a special emphasis on creating a pool of talented sports persons who could fetch medals in Olympics and other international games.
Some of the key features of the Policy, announced by Sports Minister Nanu Vanani in the Legislative Assembly, include incentives and awards to be given to sports persons who win medals in national and international games.
As per the policy document, the government will offer class-I jobs to those who win medal in Olympics or in Asian Games and class-II jobs to winners of silver and bronze medals at Asian Games.
The government will also provide financial assistance of Rs 25 lakh annually to sports persons from state participating in international sports meets.
To encourage sports-persons to win medals, government also announced cash awards in range of Rs 5 crore to Rs 1 lakh.
Under the policy, winners of gold, silver and bronze medals in Olympics from state will be given cash prize of Rs 5 crore, Rs 3 crore and Rs 2 crore respectively.
The prize for winning these medals in national games will be at Rs 3 lakh, Rs 2 lakh and Rs 1 lakh respectively.
To develop a dynamic eco-system for sports in Gujarat, the government has announced inclusion of sports as a subject in curricula of schools and colleges, which will be on par with other optional subjects.
Further, two per cent of total seats in colleges, including professional courses, will be reserved for meritorious sports-persons, Vanani said.
The government will create District Level Sports Schools (DLSS) for spotting and grooming of the budding talents.
Other initiatives include setting up of a sports goods manufacturing park; Gujarat Sports Welfare Fund for retired players and providing incentives to sports academies and development of walking and cycling tracks at the tourist and pilgrimage destinations.
“Gujarat is currently ranked 7th or 8th in terms of sports in India. Our aim is to be number one.
Government alone could not achieve by it’s own. We want support of people to achieve this goal,” the minister told reporters.
Clifford had previously denied killing Carol Hunt, 61, the wife of horseracing commentator John Hunt, and their daughters, Louise Hunt, 25, and Hannah Hunt, 28. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Man pleads guilty to crossbow murders of BBC presenter’s family
A 26-YEAR-OLD man on Wednesday pleaded guilty to murdering two daughters of a BBC sports commentator and stabbing to death their mother in a crossbow attack.
Kyle Clifford had previously denied killing Carol Hunt, 61, the wife of horseracing commentator John Hunt, and their daughters, Louise Hunt, 25, and Hannah Hunt, 28.
However, appearing via video link at Cambridge Crown Court in eastern England, Clifford changed his pleas.
The court heard that Clifford tied up Louise Hunt, his former partner, binding her arms and ankles with duct tape before shooting her in the chest with a crossbow at the family home last July.
He pleaded guilty to three counts of murder, one count of false imprisonment, and two counts of possessing offensive weapons. However, Clifford denied raping Louise.
The murders took place at the family home in the commuter town of Bushey, near Watford, northwest of London.
Clifford was arrested in July following a manhunt after the bodies of the three women were discovered.
(With inputs from AFP)