Tokyo: Indian Olympic Association (IOA) announced various cash prizes for medal-winning coaches at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. Coach of an athlete winning Gold medal to be given Rs 12.5 lakhs, coach of athlete winning Silver medal to be given Rs 10 lakhs&coach of athlete winning Bronze medal to be given Rs 7.5 lakhs.
Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu has made India proud by winning a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics on Saturday. Her coach Vijay Sharma has become the first recipient of these cash awards. He will be granted 10 lakh rupees. “We have to reward the coaches also for producing Olympic medal winners. They are the ones who are guiding the athletes day in and day out. They are also working hard and making sacrifices, just like the athletes,” IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta said to PTI.
Mehta stressed the role of a coach in the build-up towards an Olympics medal. Earlier, he had announced that all the athletes will receive monetary compensation. The IOA will give 75 lakhs, 40 lakhs and 25 lakhs each for gold, silver and bronze medals.
"The Indian Olympic Association understands the hardships faced by the athletes and the federations and felt that support and aid is required by all National Sports Federations, State Olympic Associations and most importantly the athletes, after having overcome the hurdles and hard times during the coronavirus pandemic since March last year," Mehta said.
India has the biggest contingent ever of all time with 26 people. Not just that, all a127 athletes will be given prize money of 1 lakhs.