From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, May 23: Ace discus thrower Vikas Gowda, who had won the silver medal in the IAAF Diamond league series in Doha recently, has been given a cash prize of Rs 4 lac from the State Government.
Addressing presspersons in Bangalore on Friday, Karnataka’s Minister of State for Sports and Youth Empowerment Abhayachandra Jain said the athlete was preparing for the next Olympics.
The Mysore-born Vikas Gowda has urged the government to release Rs 2 crore to seek high quality training.
Gowda had won the 2010 Asian Games bronze and silver in the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games in the discus event.
To support activities of the traditional gyms (Garadimane) and wrestling centers, the State government has released Rs 6.25 crore for 125 institutions located in rural areas.
Jain said rural gyms, where rural youth assemble for imparting training to attain physical fitness, are in large numbers in northern Karnataka.
Gyms and wrestling centers would also help in improving physical fitness and health of the youth.
The department had submitted a proposal to the Finance Department seeking sanction to the appointment of 70 coaches in different sports and athletic events. Coaches would be posted to state-run sports hostels and schools.
The selection of coaches would be done purely on the merit and those who have secured degree in Physical Education are eligible to apply, he said.
There was a proposal to provide in-service training to coaches to enhance their skills. Coaches would be sent to reputed colleges to obtain high quality training.
'Strong Modi Wave’ Defeated Poojary
Answering questions, he said the Congress candidate Janardhana Poojary was defeated in the Lok Sabha elections in Dakshina Kannada mainly on account of "a strong Modi wave."
Compared to the Assembly elections, the people voted differently in the Lok Sabha poll, he said.
The defeat has not demoralised the party workers in the district as the election was fought on national issues, the minister said and asserted that the party would bounce back soon.