Maharashtra approves Rs 24 lakh aid for 12 athletes headed for international events

The Maharashtra government has decided to give financial assistance to 12 of the state's athletes selected for international competitions. A total of Rs 24 lakh has been sanctioned. Each athlete will get Rs 2 lakh for expenses related to training and competition.

The decision aims to strengthen the sporting environment in the state. The government wants talented athletes to get better facilities and wants players who represent the country in international events to receive financial support.

The Directorate of Sports and Youth Services examined applications from eligible athletes for the financial years 2024-25 and 2025-26. It then sent its recommendations to the state government.

The proposal was approved at a meeting held on August 5. The meeting was chaired by the Deputy Chief Minister, who also holds the sports and youth welfare portfolio. The money will be paid out of the allocation sanctioned for the financial year 2026-27.

The beneficiaries include para-athletes. The 12 athletes are from sports such as gymnastics, equestrian, archery, volleyball, para-badminton, para-athletics and para-cycling.

Soham Sanjog Dhole has been selected in gymnastics. Five names are from para-badminton: Aarti Dnyanoba Patil, Nilesh Balu Gaikwad, Prem Kumar Ale, Yashodhan Vijaykumar Ravankule and Latatai Parmeshwar Umarekar.

Hriday Vipul Chheda will get assistance in equestrian. Rayan Toufique Siddiqui and Vaishnavi Babarao Pawar have been selected from archery. The list also includes Dilip Mahadu Gavit in para-athletics, Vishal Suresh Shelar in para-cycling and Maheshwari Prashant Bhavsakar in volleyball. Each athlete will get Rs 2 lakh for the approved purpose.

The use of the money will also be monitored. The government has directed the Directorate of Sports and Youth Services to ensure that the assistance is used only for the purposes for which it was sanctioned.

The directorate will also be responsible for verifying the athletes' eligibility and ensuring that the prescribed procedures are followed. It will also collect utilisation certificates to show how the funds were spent.