Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary gives away appointment letter to Bihar athlete in Patna on July 24, 2026. Photo: Aftab Alam Siddiqui
By A Correspondent
Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Friday inaugurated a ceremony at the Urja Auditorium in Rajvanshinagar, Patna, where appointment letters and sports scholarship selection certificates were distributed to outstanding athletes under the state’s ‘Bring Medals, Get Jobs’ scheme.
During the programme, the Chief Minister handed appointment letters to 19 international-level athletes, including cricketers Akash Deep and Mukesh Kumar, and congratulated them on their achievements.
Addressing the gathering, Samrat Choudhary said a new chapter had begun for sportspersons in Bihar, with the government demonstrating its commitment to recognising and rewarding sporting excellence through appointments to public service. He described it as a matter of pride that, for the first time, an athlete in Bihar had been appointed to the senior post of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), saying the move would inspire young players across the state to strive for excellence.
The Chief Minister said the state government was placing special emphasis on athlete training, modern sports facilities and the development of sports infrastructure. He announced that a statewide talent identification campaign would begin at the panchayat level from September 15, enabling promising athletes from rural areas to receive structured training and equal opportunities to develop their potential.
He said the government had completed the construction of 5,000 sports grounds across Bihar over the past two years to promote sporting culture in villages and provide better facilities for young athletes.
Highlighting the state’s infrastructure plans, Mr Choudhary said work was progressing rapidly on several major projects. He said that the redevelopment of Patna’s Moinul-Haq Stadium was under way and that its management had been entrusted to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The upgraded stadium, with a seating capacity of around 40,000, will feature world-class facilities and be capable of hosting national and international sporting events.
The Chief Minister said Bihar had taken several landmark initiatives to establish a stronger sporting identity. A Sports University had been established in Nalanda, while the state had successfully hosted three World-level sporting events, all of which were won by India on Bihar soil. He said these achievements had enhanced Bihar’s reputation in the national and international sporting arena and urged preparations to make Bihar the leading state in national-level sports.
Calling upon athletes to set higher ambitions, Choudhary said their goal should not be limited to winning medals but should also include making Bihar the country’s leading sporting state. He added that the government’s vision was to host world-class sporting events in Bihar while ensuring athletes had access to top-class facilities within the state.
Expressing confidence in Bihar’s sporting future, the Chief Minister said he hoped athletes from the state would bring glory to Bihar and India at the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, World Cups and the Indian Premier League (IPL). He reiterated the government’s commitment to making Bihar one of India’s foremost sporting powerhouses by providing equal access to opportunities, resources and recognition.
During the ceremony, international cricketers Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep were appointed as Deputy Superintendents of Police, while athlete Piyush Raj was appointed as a Police Sub-Inspector. Appointment letters were also presented to several other outstanding athletes, including five para-athletes.
Under the state’s Sports Honour Scheme, athlete Setu Mishra received a symbolic cheque of ₹3.75 crore? Wait no correction: ₹37.50 lakh for winning gold and silver medals at the 2026 Asian Under-23 Athletics Championships and for becoming the first athlete from Bihar to win an international athletics gold medal. Vibhaskar Kumar received ₹2 lakh for representing India at the same championships, while chess player Maryam Fatima was awarded ₹9 lakh for winning a bronze medal in the blitz event at the 2026 Commonwealth Youth Chess Championship.
The Chief Minister also presented certificates to athletes selected under the Utkarsh, Saksham and Prerna scholarship schemes. Under the Bihar Sports Scholarship Scheme 2026, athletes will receive financial assistance for training, nutrition, sports equipment, competition participation and sports science support through annual scholarships of ₹20 lakh under Utkarsh, ₹5 lakh under Saksham and ₹3 lakh under Prerna.
A total of 637 athletes will receive scholarships during the current financial year, including 21 under Utkarsh, 184 under Saksham and 432 under Prerna. Of those selected under the Prerna category, 269 athletes were identified through the statewide Mashaal Talent Search Programme.
Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Sports Minister Shreyasi Singh, Sports Department Secretary Deepak Anand and Bihar State Sports Authority Director General Raveendran Sankaran also addressed the gathering. During the event, Deepak Anand presented a memento to the Chief Minister.
Among those present were Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary, Sports Minister Shreyasi Singh, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Deepak Kumar, Director General of Police Vinay Kumar, Sports Department Secretary Deepak Anand, Bihar State Sports Authority Director General Raveenndran Sankaran, Chief Minister’s Secretary Sanjay Kumar Singh, senior officials of the Sports Department and several athletes.
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