From upgrading sports infrastructure to hosting international tournaments, Uttar Pradesh has emerged as one of the country’s major sporting hubs in the last eight years.
The state is also leading in honouring sports achievers in national and international events with massive cash rewards and job opportunities, ensuring that they continue to bring laurels to Uttar Pradesh.
Successful organisation of national and international events like MotoGP race, Davis Cup, Khelo India University Games, Indian Premier League, World Cup cricket matches and UPT20 League strengthened the state’s position as an emerging sports hub.
After Yogi Adityanath assumed office as chief minister in his first term in 2017, he introduced several initiatives to position the state as a frontrunner in sports.
He focused on nurturing sports talent and motivating senior players to excel at the national and international levels. Uttar Pradesh has a formidable sports policy emphasizing infrastructure development, training, and skill enhancement. At the grassroots, the govt has facilitated the construction of sports grounds at village panchayat levels, mini-stadiums at development blocks, district-level stadiums, and a sports university in Meerut.
An international cricket stadium is currently under construction in Varanasi – the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi – which is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
The venue will have a seating capacity of 30,000, which can be extended to 40,000. Besides, the Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) has received approval to refurbish Kanpur’s Green Park, one of the oldest Test centres in the country, in line with the latest international standards and architecture.
The state govt has also upgraded sports colleges in Lucknow, Gorakhpur, and Saifai while constructing new ones in Saharanpur, Ballia, Fatehpur, and Mahoba. To motivate sportspersons to improve their performance, the govt is providing gazetted posts in various departments to medal winners.
The govt also announced a cash prize of Rs 6 crore for Olympic gold medalists, Rs 4 crore for silver medalists and Rs 2 crore for those winning bronze. Winners of team events in Olympic Games receive Rs 3 crore for gold, Rs 2 crore for silver, and Rs 1 crore for bronze medal.
In Asian Games, gold medalists are awarded Rs 3 crore, silver medalists Rs 1.5 crore, and bronze medalists get Rs 75 lakh.
Even the winners of the National Games walked away with a handsome amount. The gold medalists get Rs 6 lakh while silver and bronze medals could earn them Rs 4 lakh and Rs 2 lakh, respectively. In the team events, gold, silver and bronze medals fetch every member of the team Rs 2 lakh, Rs 1 lakh and Rs 50,000, respectively.
Sports & success stories
Ahead of the TOISA award ceremony, here is a recap of success stories and sportspersons who made India proud in 2024
Swapnil Kusale
Swapnil Kusale. (Photo by Sheng Jiapeng/China News Service/VCG via Getty Images)
Swapnil created history by winning a bronze medal in the men’s 50m rifle 3 positions event, marking India’s ?rst-ever Olympic medal in this shooting discipline.
Aman Sehrawat
Wrestler Aman Sehrawat bolstered India’s medal count by securing bronze in the men’s 57kg freestyle wrestling event. His unwavering determination and skill ensured a well-earned podiumnish.
Neeraj Chopra
Tokyo Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra secured a silver medal in the men’s javelin throw with an impressive 89.45-metre attempt in Paris. With this feat, he became the ?rst Indian track-and-?eld athlete to win individual medals in back-to-back Olympic Games.
D Gukesh
He is an Indian chess grandmaster and the reigning World Chess Champion. He became the youngest winner of the Candidates Tournament and successfully challenged Ding Liren in the World Chess Championship, becoming the 18th and youngest undisputed world champion, at the age of 18 years and 195 days.
Indian Men’s Hockey Team
Continuing their legacy, the Indian men’s hockey team clinched the bronze medal with a 2-1 victory over Spain in the third-place match. This achievement helped in securing consecutive Olympic medals in hockey for India, after a gap of almost 50 years.
Koneru Humpy
Indian chess player Koneru Humpy.
An Indian chess grandmaster and a former world junior champion (2002), she won the Women’s World Rapid Chess Championship in 2019 and in 2024. In 2002, she became the youngest woman ever to achieve the title of Grandmaster beating Judit Polgár’s previous record by three months.
Manu Bhaker
Manu Bhaker (PTI Photo)
Shooter Manu Bhaker made history as the ?rst Indian woman to claim multiple medals at a single Olympics. She earned a bronze in the women’s 10m air pistol event and another in the mixed 10m air pistol category alongside Sarabjot Singh.
Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah. (Pic Credit – X)
Bumrah has recorded a strike rate of 26.9 while claiming 86 wickets at an average of 13.76 in 21 matches in 2024. He became the fastest Indian pacer to reach 200 Test wickets.
Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj
Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj (BCCL/ @suhas_ly)
A 2007-batch IAS officer, Suhas LY is the only Indian para-badminton player to win back-to-back medals at the Paralympics, winning silver medals in Tokyo-2020 and Paris-2024.
Praveen Kumar
A recipient of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, Praveen of Gautam Budh Nagar bagged a high-jump gold medal in 2024 Summer Paralympics in T64 event. He claimed the silver in the Tokyo Paralympics besides winning the gold in Asian Para Games.
Sarabjot Singh
Sarabjot Singh. (PTI Photo)
Competing in the mixed 10m air pistol event, Sarabjot Singh played a pivotal role in securing a bronze medal with Manu Bhaker, showcasing exceptional precision and teamwork.
