President pledges big cash bonus for gold medallists

COLOMBO Tuesday (Lankapuvath) President Mahinda Rajapakse has pledged to grant ten million rupees each to sports men and women who wile win gold medals in the upcoming Olympic games.

Government has decided to present cash awards ranging from 100,000 rupees to 500,000 rupees to athletes who will win gold medals in other international athletic meets. The President has made this pledge in a message sent to the ceremony organized to present awards and scholarships to athletes who excelled in various events.

The ceremony was held at the BMICH in Colombo with Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake as the chief guest. He read out the President 's message. In President's message it has been highlighted that a special program is to be implemented by the miniseries of sports and education to identify schoolchildren with special talents in sports.

Several veteran athletes who served immensely in the field of sports for around 50 years have been felicitated on the occasion. Awards and prizes were presented to schoolchildren and sports men and women who excelled in International and National level. Ministers Jeevan Kumaratunga and Sripathy Sooriyarachchy were present on the occasion.