Panchkula, Aug 26 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday honoured the medallists and participating athletes of the 2026 Commonwealth Games at a state-level felicitation ceremony held here.
On the occasion, 24 athletes were presented with cash awards amounting to Rs 13.97 crore.
Expressing pride in the achievements of the athletes, Saini said an athlete’s story does not begin with a medal.
“It begins in the soil where they first learnt to run, on the field where they first experienced defeat, and on those mornings when the rest of the world was asleep while they were working towards their dream,” he said.
“The world may see an athlete on the podium for a few moments, but what often remains unseen are the years of struggle that took them there,” he said.
Haryana’s athletes demonstrated their strength and talent before the world in Glasgow, he added.
Saini said Haryana accounts for barely 2 per cent of the country’s total population, yet 24 of the 122 athletes who represented India at the Games were from Haryana, and nearly every second athlete from the state returned with a medal.
Haryana’s athletes won 11 medals, comprising seven gold, two silver and two bronze. Their contribution was more than 28 per cent of India’s total medal tally.
This, he said, is not merely a statistic, but a reflection of Haryana’s sporting talent, hard work and fighting spirit, which has once again raised the pride of the Tricolour on the world stage.
On behalf of Haryana’s nearly 2.75 crore people, Saini extended heartfelt congratulations to every medallist and participating athlete from Haryana who made the country proud in Glasgow.
Saini said athletes have brought glory to the country and the state through their talent, hard work, discipline and determination.
The occasion, he said, is not merely about honouring medals, but also the years of perseverance, struggle and resolve behind them.
The CM expressed confidence that with Haryana’s athletes leading the way, India will emerge as a major global sporting power at the 2028, 2032 and 2036 Olympic Games.
He lauded the performance of Haryana’s women athletes, saying that of the 11 medals won by the state’s athletes, six were won by its daughters, including five gold medals.
Haryana also dominated the boxing ring, with its boxers winning six of India’s seven gold medals in the sport. He said Preeti Pawar, Jaismine Lamboria, Sakshi Chaudhary, Priya Ghanghas, Sachin Siwach and Ankush Panghal defeated their opponents to script golden history.
Referring to para-athlete Sharmila, who won a gold medal, the CM said she had proved that no obstacle can withstand the strength of the human spirit.
Neeraj Chopra once again demonstrated his world-class ability by winning silver in the javelin throw, while boxer Narender Berwal brought laurels to the state with a silver medal.
Saini said that under Haryana’s Outstanding Sportspersons Recruitment Rules, 260 sportspersons have so far been provided Group A, B and C government jobs.
He said the Sports Gradation Policy has also recently been amended.
Athletes participating in the Haryana State Games will now be eligible for sports gradation benefits, enabling them to avail opportunities in government employment and other areas.
Saini said over the past nearly 12 years, the state government has given cash awards worth Rs 742 crore to 17,544 athletes.
Following the felicitation ceremony, Saini held a special interaction with the athletes.
He joined the athletes and learned in detail about their sporting journeys to the international stage, the years of hard work and struggle involved, and the challenges they encountered along the way.