Karnataka to revise financial incentive for Asian Games medalists

Athlete MR Poovamma gold medal in the women’s 4×400 relay and silver in the 4×400 medley relay in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Deputy Chief Minister and Sports Minister G. Parameshwara on Monday announced that the financial incentive for Asian Games medalists from Karnataka will be revised and the new amount will be announced on Tuesday.

The state government, as per the 2024 budget announcement, has earmarked a purse of Rs 35 lakh, Rs 25 lakh and Rs 15 lakh respectively for the gold, silver and bronze medalists of the Commonwealth and Asian Games.

However, these amounts have caused consternation among sportspersons as they are paltry compared to those doled out by states like Haryana, where the prize money for a gold medalist is ₹3 crore.

Mr. Parameshwara also responded to criticism that state government officials were slow to congratulate the medal winners.

MR Poovamma, who won gold in the women’s 4x400m relay and silver in the 4x400m medley relay, claimed that not a single Karnataka official recognized her efforts in Aichi-Nagoya.

“We tried to contact Poovamma and congratulate her when she was in Japan, but we could not reach her,” Mr. Parameshwara said. “I spoke to her personally within hours of her return to India. I also spoke to a few other athletes.”

In another development, the state government has finally released a gazette notification reserving 2% posts across ministries for eligible sportspersons. A total of 34 disciplines were identified.

To qualify for recruitment in general merit, SC, ST and OBC categories, sportspersons should be resident of Karnataka for at least 10 years and represent the state in at least one national championship recognized by the Union Sports Ministry.

Another important criterion will be the “weight of the scale” given to each athlete, with an Olympic and Paralympic gold medalist having the highest rating of 50 and a Khelo India University (or Inter-University) bronze medalist having the lowest rating of 12.

For para-athletes, the 2% reservation will be limited to the places designated by the expert committee under Section 33 of the Act on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) 2016.

It may be noted that in the budget presented by former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in 2023, the reservation for sportspersons in police and forest departments was increased from 2% to 3%.

When The Hindu approached K. Govindaraj, president of the Karnataka Olympic Association, to clarify why the hike was not mentioned in the notification, he said, “This hike has already been implemented and is part of another gazette notification. It will be made available in a day or two.”

Published – 05 Oct 2026 21:40 IST