Raipur: The years-long wait for athletes—who brought laurels to Chhattisgarh by winning medals in national and international competitions—to be officially recognized as “Outstanding Players” finally ended on Tuesday. A high-level committee meeting chaired by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai took place on June 30, during which 156 athletes across 20 sports disciplines were deemed eligible for this status. These selected athletes will now also become eligible for government employment.
Approval Granted for Outstanding Player Status
International-level athletes from across the state had been waiting for this recognition since 2016. Following a sustained campaign by Patrika, the government finally approved the list of outstanding players on Tuesday. The General Administration Department will release the list of eligible athletes. The Sports Department had received a total of 783 applications for this status during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 periods (344 in 2018-19 and 439 in 2019-20). After an initial screening, 651 applications were scrutinized, and the Sports Department had identified approximately 200 potential candidates. However, following its review, the high-level committee found only 156 athletes across 20 different sports eligible for the “Outstanding Player” status.
Two Percent of Departmental Posts Reserved
Achieving “Outstanding Player” status paves the way for these athletes to secure government jobs. Two percent of vacant posts across all state government departments are reserved for outstanding players. Previously, they could not be appointed to these reserved posts because they lacked this official recognition. Members of the High-Level Committee
Chairperson: Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai
Members: Sports Minister and Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao, Forest Minister Kedar Kashyap, Chief Secretary Vikas Sheel, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Subodh Kumar Singh, Secretary to the Chief Minister Rahul Bhagat, Secretary of the General Administration Department Avinash Champawat, Secretary of the Sports Department Yashwant Kumar, and Director of the Sports Department Tanuja Salam.
Recruitment Process to Begin Soon
The list of 156 athletes approved during the meeting will be sent to the General Administration Department. Once the General Administration Department issues a notification regarding this, the necessary procedures for inducting the athletes into government service will commence.
