Maha to honour 331 medal-winning athletes on National Sports Day

The event will also witness inauguration of the ambitious ‘Mission Lakshyavedh’ high-performance centre aimed at providing world-class training facilities to aspiring athletes across the state

In a grand celebration on the occasion of National Sports Day on August 29, the Maharashtra government’s department of school education and sports will honour 331 medal-winning athletes at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Mahalunge-Balewadi, with the event also witnessing the inauguration of the ambitious ‘Mission Lakshyavedh’ high-performance centre aimed at providing world-class training facilities to aspiring athletes across the state.

Aditi Hegde, who won eight medals at Khelo India Youth Games 2025, will receive cash prize of ₹32 lakh at the function organised at Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex. (HT PHOTO)

The ceremony, scheduled to begin at 4 pm in the weightlifting hall of the complex, will be attended by a host of dignitaries including deputy chief minister and Pune guardian minister Ajit Pawar, union minister of state Muralidhar Mohol, higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil, agriculture minister Dattatraya Bharane, sports minister Manikrao Kokate, members of Parliament (MPs) and members of legislative assemblies (MLAs), senior department officials, and prominent figures from the sports fraternity. Nearly 300 athletes, 100 coaches and 100 officials are expected to participate in the programme.

Maharashtra put on a stellar performance at the National Games held in Uttarakhand in February this year securing a total of 201 medals including 55 gold, 70 silver, and 76 bronze and emerging as top-ranking state among all participants. Gold medallists will receive ₹7 lakh each; silver medallists ₹5 lakh each; and bronze medallists ₹3 lakh each. Coaches and mentors will also be rewarded with cash prizes of ₹50,000; ₹30,000; and ₹20,000. The government will distribute a total ₹28.70 crore as part of the awards. Among the medal-winning athletes to be honoured are Olympic medallist Swapnil Kusale; Asian medallist Rahi Sarnobat; Olympian Devendra Valmiki; and World Champion Priyanka Ingle. Notably, Aditi Hegde, who won a record eight medals in the competitions, will receive a total cash prize of ₹32 lakh.

Director of sports and youth services, Sudhir More, said, “The highlight of the event will be the unveiling of the ‘Mission Lakshyavedh’ high-performance centre’s emblem. Under this ambitious initiative, the Maharashtra government has sanctioned an annual budget of ₹160 crore to provide international-level training in 12 selected sports disciplines. In the first phase, six sports namely athletics, hockey, wrestling, weightlifting, rowing and lawn tennis will be included, providing state athletes with cutting-edge facilities and coaching to prepare them for national and international competitions.”