Chandigarh, Dec 27 (UNI) The Haryana government will shortly announce its new sports policy which would focus on giving incentives to the sportspersons so as to encourage them to take keen interest in games.

This was announced by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda after giving away cash awards of Rs one lakh each to eight players, hailing from Haryana, who were members of the Indian team which defeated Japan to clinch gold at the 12th Asian Women Roller Skating Hockey Championship held at Kolkata last month.

The Chief Minister said that more than 130 sports stadia were being constructed in the state to provide an opportunity to the people, especially the youth to excel in sports. Each such sports stadium would cost Rs 50 lakh.

While congratulating the eight players for bringing laurels to the state, Mr Hooda said that Haryana was proud of its daughters like mountaineer Santosh Yadav who had scaled Mount Everest and late astronaut Kalpna Chawla. He also praised the six women players of Haryana who were in the Indian women hockey team which had won the Asian hockey championship at Manchester.

Haryana Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs Kiran Choudhry said efforts would be made to get the new sports policy announced by the Chief Minister before the next financial year.

The new sports policy was being made in a transparent manner and it would be so effective that its provisions could be implemented for next 20 years.

She said the Chief Minister has given the green signal to form a new policy for youth affairs to ensure overall development of the youth. A sum of Rs 1.50 crore had been earmarked for human resource development, she added.

Ms Kiran Choudhry said that the Government has also decided to constitute a Sports Council which would be headed by the Chief Minister.

UNI