SHILLONG: The Meghalaya government handed over Rs five lakh as a cash award to Margaret Pathaw, who won gold in the 43rd World Arm Wrestling championship in Turkey.
She clinched the gold medal in the 60 kg Left-Hand category of the championship recently, defeating Santos Anna of Brazil.
Along with Pathaw, the state government also handed over cash awards of Rs 6.5 lakh to 10 other athletes who represented the country and brought laurels in various international arm wrestling and bodybuilding competitions.
Congratulating them, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said winners are not made overnight but they achieve success only through hard work and perseverance.
"We are taking the right steps to nurture our sports persons so that in the coming days, our athletes can compete at national and international events. With the proper strategy and planning, we are confident that all the investments that we have been making today will bear fruits in the days to come," Sangma said while addressing the programme on Wednesday.
The government has allocated Rs 500 crore for the development of sports infrastructure in the state, he said.
The chief minister expressed hope that better sports facilities can be provided in districts, subdivisions and blocks across the state in future.
