Success in Paralympics | 31 Aug 2021

Why in News

  • In the Paralympic Games being played in Tokyo, the players of Rajasthan have brought golden success to the state and the country.
    • Avani Lakhera won gold medal in shooting while Devendra Jhajharia won silver medal and Sunder Singh Gurjar won bronze medal in javelin throw.

Key Points

  • Avni Lakhera of Jaipur won the gold medal in the women's 10m Air Rifle (Class SH-1) final by scoring 249 points.
    • She is the first Indian female athlete to do so.
  • In javelin throw, Devendra Jhajharia of Rajasthan won silver by throwing javelin 64.35 meters away and Sunder Singh Gurjar won bronze by throwing 64.1 meters away. It is noteworthy that earlier in Paralympics Devendra Jhajharia has won gold medals for two times.
  • It is worth mentioning that Avani Lakhera, who won gold medal in shooting competition, is working as ACF in Rajasthan Forest Department.
    • Devendra Jhajharia and Sunder Singh Gurjar are also working as ACF in the Forest Department.
  • The state government will give prize money of Rs 3 crore, 2 crore and 1 crore to the players who win gold, silver and bronze medals respectively.
  • In the budget of 2020-21, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced that the amount given for winning gold, silver and bronze medals in Olympic Games will be increased from Rs 75 lakh to Rs 3 crore, 50 lakh to Rs 2 crore and 30 lakh to Rs 1 crore respectively.
    • The purpose of increasing the prize money is to encourage the players in the state.
  • Similarly, the prize money given to the winners for winning gold, silver and bronze medals in Asian and Commonwealth Games has also been increased from Rs.30 lakh, Rs. 20 lakh and Rs. 10 lakh to Rs.1 crore, Rs. 60 lakh and Rs. 30 lakh respectively.
  • In order to promote sports, medal winners in the state are being given appointments in government services on the basis of out-of-turn policy.
    • Avani Lakhera, Devendra Jhajharia and Sundar Gurjar, who won medals in Tokyo Paralympic Games, have been appointed by the State Government as Assistant Conservator of Forests in the Forest Department on out-of-turn basis.