IOA felicitates Youth Games medallists

Delighted with India's performance in the recently-concluded Youth Olympics Games (YOG) in Singapore, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Saturday felicitated the country's medal winners in the inaugural quadrennial event with cash awards.

IOA president Suresh Kalmadi handed over cheques of Rs two lakh and Rs one lakh each to the silver and bronze medal winners at a felicitation function in New Delhi.

The 32-member Indian contingent returned with a rich haul of nine medals, including six silver and three bronze from the August 14-26 event.

Apart from the IOA, electronics giant Samsung, which was the worldwide partner for the Youth Olympics and the official partner of the Indian contingent, also felicitated the athletes with cash rewards of Rs two lakh and Rs one lakh each to the silver and bronze medallists.

"It's good to see that we are doing good in Olympic sports. We will make sure that these young athletes get proper training and facilities. We are giving Rs one lakh to the bronze medallists and Rs two lakhs to the silver medal winners," Kalmadi said.

Arjun, who bagged a silver in discuss throw in the Youth Games, said the monetary purse will motivate youngsters like him to achieve more laurels for the country.

"I was expecting a gold but I'm happy with my achievement. It's good to see young players like me are getting encouragement. The cash award is a good motivation," he said.

Kalmadi said he is hoping an impressive showing from the Indian athletes in the upcoming Commonwealth Games.

"I expect a good result in the Commonwealth Games. We were fourth in the medals tally last time, but I think we will definitely come third this time," Kalmadi said.