The Department of Sports and Youth Affairs notified the Cash Award Scheme for sportspersons in 2022 as a mechanism to encourage athletes and coaches that have proven themselves in their respective sports. Since its notification, over 3500 athletes and coaches have received more than Rs. 6 Crore from nearly 30 Sporting Disciplines.
In reference to the concerns raised by stakeholders of certain sports associations, the Directorate
of Sports and Youth Affairs provided an update on the scheme to the athletes of Meghalaya,
committing that all eligible applicants under the scheme shall continue to benefit from the
initiative. Further, ongoing checks and verifications are diligently being undertaken by the
Department to ensure an accountable process despite the significant number of applications being
sent to the Department. Since February 2024 alone, over 1300 cash awards amounting to around
Rupees Two Crore have been disbursed, including the most recent on the 14th of March, 2024.
More such events shall be announced in the coming months to verify all applications and felicitate
awardees.
The Cash Award Scheme is available for Athletes and Coaches of Meghalaya who have won medals
in sporting events at State, Regional, National, or International Events. The Scheme Document is
available for review at the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs, as well as notified through the
Gazetted Post. The Cash Awards are one-time payments, up to Rupees Seventy Five Lakh for an Olympic Gold Medal. The Cash Awards are proportioned in value for Senior, Junior, and Sub-
Junior medals, a standard practice across State Cash Award policies as well as under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
In addition to Cash Awards Scheme, the Sports Scholarship Scheme is another mechanism for
athlete incentives in Meghalaya. Athletes are provided with One Year Scholarships starting from
Rs. 60,000 a year (Rs. 5000 a month). Over 350 Athletes have been provided with Scholarships for
the year 2024-25. Further, athletes are welcome to submit applications to the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs through their registered Sports Association for training/travel/logistics funding
support.
The Department encourages the athletes and coaches of various state sports associations to read
the notified scheme document and submit applications to their respective association/district
sports officer to ensure that they receive their deserved recognition. Any queries/concerns may be
shared with the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs to ensure all compliances for the process
are met and turnaround time for the disbursal of awards is expedited.