Cash Prize to Players and their Coaches for Winning Medals in National and International Competitions

What is the cash prize scheme for medal-winning players and coaches?

The Cash Prize to Players and their Coaches for Winning Medals in National and International Competitions is a reward scheme of the Directorate of Sports under the Department of Sports, Government of Uttarakhand. The scheme gives one-time cash awards to sportspersons of Uttarakhand who win medals at recognised national and international events, and it extends a share of that award to the coaches who trained them.

According to the Uttarakhand Sports Department and state press releases, the award scale was revised upward on 8 September 2022, with increases of 30 to 100 percent over the earlier amounts. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced the revision as part of a wider effort to encourage young people in Uttarakhand to take up competitive sport and to reward those who reach the top.

Unlike a monthly scholarship, this is a result-linked reward: an athlete becomes eligible only after actually winning a medal or, in the top events, qualifying to take part. The scheme therefore sits at the far end of the state's sports support system, above the Khiladi Protsahan and Udeeyman Khiladi scholarships that support athletes on the way up.

Key features

• One-time cash award for medals at recognised national and international events.
• Highest award is Rs 2 crore for an Olympic gold medal.
• Coaches receive 50 percent of the player's award, shared equally.
• Junior and sub-junior medallists receive reduced amounts.
• Revised scale in force since 8 September 2022.

How much is the cash prize?

The award depends on the event and the colour of the medal. Based on the revised 2022 scale reported by the Uttarakhand Sports Department and state media:

The scale also covers Commonwealth Games and Championships, National Games and other recognised competitions, with amounts stepped down from the figures above. Junior players receive about 50 percent and sub-junior players about 25 percent of the corresponding senior amount. For the biggest events, the scheme also allows an advance; reported as about 20 percent of the amount: to be paid to a player on selection for the Olympics, World Cup, Asian Games or Commonwealth Games, to help meet the costs of taking part.

Because the exact table runs to many events and categories, always confirm the current figure for your specific event and level with the Directorate of Sports before assuming an amount.

How much do coaches receive?

Coaches are recognised alongside the athletes they train. The scheme provides that 50 percent of the amount fixed for the player's medal is given to the coaches, shared equally where more than one coach is linked to the player. This is one of the features that distinguishes the Uttarakhand scheme, since it treats the coach as a direct beneficiary rather than leaving the reward entirely with the athlete.

Who is eligible for the cash prize?

You can claim the award if:

• You are a permanent resident of Uttarakhand and can prove domicile.
• You have won a medal, or in the top events qualified to take part, at a recognised national or international competition held by the appropriate sports federation.
• You are the coach of an eligible medal-winning Uttarakhand player, for the coach's 50 percent share.

You cannot claim / are not eligible if:

• You are not a sportsperson or coach of Uttarakhand.
• Your medal is from an event that is not recognised by the relevant national or international federation.
• You cannot produce official proof of the result from the recognised federation.

The scheme is not an individual welfare benefit that anyone can apply for at will. It is a merit reward, so eligibility begins only with a verified medal or, for the highest events, a verified selection.

What documents are required?

How to apply for the cash prize

1. Gather the official medal certificate or result from the recognised national or international federation for your event.
2. Prepare your domicile certificate, Aadhaar and bank details, and, if you are a coach, proof of your coaching link with the player.
3. Submit an application to the Directorate of Sports, Uttarakhand, or through your District Sports Office, with all the proofs attached.
4. The department verifies the result with the federation records.
5. On approval, the award is released to your bank account; for top events an advance may be paid earlier on selection.

Because the process runs through the Directorate of Sports rather than an online self-service portal, it is best to contact the district or state sports office soon after your win to start the verification.

How do I check the status of my claim?

Follow up directly with the Directorate of Sports or the District Sports Office where you filed the claim, quoting your event and the date of your medal. Since the award depends on verifying the result with the federation, the status is tracked by the department rather than through an online status screen.

Common reasons a claim is rejected or delayed

• Domicile not established — the claimant is not shown as a permanent resident of Uttarakhand.
• Unrecognised event. The competition is not held or sanctioned by the relevant federation.
• Result cannot be verified because the certificate is incomplete or the federation records do not match.
• Coach link not proved, holding up the coach's 50 percent share.

Most delays are verification issues, so submit a clear, complete medal certificate and, for coaches, documentation of your role with the athlete.

How does this fit Uttarakhand's wider sports support?

The cash prize sits at the top of a ladder of sports incentives the state runs. Below it are development-stage supports such as the Khiladi Protsahan and Udeeyman Khiladi schemes, which help promising athletes with training and allowances before they reach the podium, and the state's sports hostels and academies. The revised 2022 scale also fits the state's broader push under its new sports policy to keep more Uttarakhand-born talent competing under the state's name rather than migrating to states with bigger cash rewards. For an athlete, the practical takeaway is that the earlier supports are applied for while training, whereas this reward is claimed only after a verified result, the two are separate routes with separate offices, though both run through the Department of Sports.

Because the award is a one-time, result-linked reward and not a recurring payment, an athlete who wins medals at more than one event can claim for each qualifying result separately, subject to the scale for that event and level. Where a player is selected for a top event such as the Olympics, an advance reported at about 20 per cent of the applicable amount can be released on selection to help meet the cost of competing, with the balance paid on the result.

Where do I get help?

For help with a claim, contact the Directorate of Sports, Uttarakhand, at the Maharana Pratap Sports College campus, Raipur, Dehradun, or your District Sports Officer. The department website is sports.uk.gov.in. Note that award amounts and event lists are revised from time to time, so confirm the current figure for your event before you claim.