Shiv Chhatrapati State Sports Awards, the highest honour for sportspersons from the state were conferred for the years 2019 – 20, 2020-21, and 2021-22 at the Shiv Chhatrapati Krida Sankul, Balewadi, on Monday.
The event was attended by CM Eknath Shinde, Dy CM Ajit Pawar, Governor Ramesh Bais, Sports and youth welfare minister Sanjay Bansode, State Rural Development Minister Girish Mahajan, Guardian Minister Chandrakant Patil, Cooperation Minister Dilip Valse, and others.
At the event, 116 awards were given for these three years. Lifetime achievement awards were given to Shrikanth Sharadchandra Vad for 2019-2020, Dilip Balwant Vengsarkar for 2020-2021, and Adille Sumariwalla for 2021-2022.
CM Eknath Shinde acknowledged their contribution to sports and said he was keen on handing them more responsibilities in future. “They should think of these awards as a new beginning,” he said.
Maharashtra is now the first state in the country to sign a memorandum of understanding with Bundesliga, a professional association football league in Germany, for the promotion of football, it was announced at the event. CM Eknath Shinde also announced an increase in the prize amount for these awards at the event.
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TheJeevan Gaurav award was raised from Rs3 lakh to Rs5 lakh, and other Shiv Chhatrapati Rajya Krida awards from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 3 lakh. He said, “No matter how much money is given from our treasury to these sports stars, the treasury amount will never reduce, it will only increase.”
He also announced January 15 — the birth date of Maharashtra’s Malla Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav, the first athlete from Independent India to win a medal at the Helsinki Olympics in 1952 — as Maharashtra Rajya Krida Din–Maharashtra Sports Day.
The Government of Maharashtra also distributed Shiv Chhatrapati State Sports Life Honor Award, Outstanding Sports Mentor Award, Sportsperson Award, Eklavya Athlete Award (Disabled Athlete), Adventure Sports Award and Jijamata Award for the years 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22.