Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Aug 8: Karnataka on Sunday August 8 announced a Rs 10 lac award for former national javelin coach Kashinath Naik, who was also one of the trainers of Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra.

Naik, a former national javelin throw athlete and coach, hails from Bengle village in Sirsi taluk in the state's Uttara Kannada district.

Karnataka sports and youth empowerment minister, K C Narayana Gowda said that Naik, who trained Chopra and paved the way for the latter to win the gold at the Olympics and make the nation proud, is himself is an achiever, having won a bronze medal in the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

Kashinath Naik with Neeraj Chopra

Naik, who was coach of the national team between 2013 to 2018, had trained Chopra between 2015 to 2017 at the Indian Army facility at Patiala.

"In view of this achievement, I am announcing a cash reward of Rs 10 lac to Naik which is, in a way, to show our gratitude," the minister said in a statement. He also congratulated Neeraj Chopra on winning the gold medal.

Gowda also stated that the state government would also honour all Indian Olympic medallists, and that he has already discussed with the chief minister about felicitating all the seven sportspersons who won medals at Tokyo Olympics. Kashinath would be honoured at the same ceremony, he said.

"Three sportspersons from Karnataka competed in the Olympics, though they did not win medals. Competing in the Olympics is by itself a great achievement. Therefore, sportspersons Ashok, Srihari Natraj and Fawad Mirza of Karnataka will also be honoured by the youth empowerment department," he said.

With IANS inputs