Ladakh L-G Saxena Approves Sports Policy with Cash Perks, Scholarships

Leh: Ladakh Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena on Saturday approved a new sports policy, describing it as a landmark and future-oriented framework aimed at ensuring financial security for young sportspersons while transforming the Union territory into a vibrant and self-sustaining sporting hub. For the first time, the sports policy provides for cash incentives and monthly scholarships to motivate sportspersons to excel at school, district, state, national and international levels.

Guided by the motto "scout, facilitate and recognise", the Ladakh Sports Policy 2026 policy seeks to enable talented youth to pursue sports as a viable career without financial constraints, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of promoting sports through initiatives such as 'Khelo India', Saxena said in a post on X.

The highlight of the policy is the introduction of a comprehensive framework for financial support to outstanding sportspersons from Ladakh, an official spokesman said.

Medal winners in recognised international, national and state-level competitions, including the National School Games and Khelo India Games, will receive monthly scholarships for 12 months, from the date of winning the medal, he said.

The scholarship would motivate sportspersons to compete for higher-level sporting events, without worrying about expenses on nutritious diet or sports equipment, the spokesman said.

Under this framework, international gold medallists will receive Rs 1 lakh per month, national gold medallists Rs 75,000 per month, and state-level gold medallists Rs 10,000 per month, with proportionate scholarships for silver and bronze winners for a period of 12 months, he said.

The policy ensures that as the beneficiary athletes progress to higher levels, their scholarship is correspondingly upgraded.

For instance, a sportsperson receiving Rs 10,000 per month for winning gold at the state level will become eligible for a higher scholarship upon securing a medal at the national or international level. Medal scholarships will be awarded for 12 months, from the date of winning the medal, the spokesman said.

However, he said, if a sportsperson qualifies for a higher level, the scholarship will be automatically upgraded for a fresh one-year period, as per the higher scholarship slab, from the month he or she qualifies during the ongoing scholarship period.

In such a case, the scholarship already paid to the sportsperson at a lower slab will not be recovered.

The spokesman said the policy also provides one-time cash incentives, from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 1 crore, for medal winners at recognised international, national, state and school-level competitions.

This incentive will be paid over and above the monthly scholarship, he said.

The policy also introduces a one-time Rs 10 lakh cash award for mountaineering achievers from Ladakh who successfully summit peaks above 8,000 metres anywhere in the world, the spokesman said.

Besides, the new policy also provides for special cash awards for outstanding performances in Paralympic Games, Para Asian Games, Para Commonwealth Games, national para sports championships, and events for visually impaired, hearing-impaired and Special Olympics athletes, the spokesman said.

The policy has been finalised following threadbare discussions with all stakeholders for over two months under the leadership of Saxena, the spokesman said.

In recent months, several sportspersons and their parents met Saxena, putting forth their inability to meet the expenses for further preparations and training due to financial constraints.

Considering the requirements, the L-G directed the UT administration to formulate a comprehensive sports policy where medal winners start earning automatically, the spokesman said.

"The Ladakh Sports Policy 2026 is a long-term commitment to our youth for a vibrant sporting culture and an institutional support system to excel in sports. The policy not only seeks to identify talented athletes at the grassroots, but will also ensure that they receive sustained financial support, institutional backing and constant motivation to excel at every stage of their sporting career," Saxena said.

Every medal won by a sportsperson from Ladakh is a matter of pride for the entire nation, he said.

"It is, therefore, the duty of the administration to support our talented youth, without the sportspersons and their families having to worry about the expenses.

"Through assured scholarships, cash incentives, modern infrastructure, scientific coaching and career opportunities, we are creating an ecosystem where talent is recognised, nurtured and rewarded without financial burdens on families," Saxena said.