Karnataka Announces ₹8 Crore Rewards for Asian Games Medal Winners

Bengaluru, October 7, 2026: The Karnataka government has significantly increased its financial incentives for athletes who represented the state at the 2026 Asian Games, announcing a total of ₹8 crore in prize money for eight medal-winning sportspersons.

The revised scheme was announced following a felicitation ceremony for Karnataka athletes who competed at the Asian Games in Japan. The new rewards substantially raise the amounts previously offered for gold, silver and bronze medals.

Gold medal reward raised to ₹1 crore

Under the revised structure, Karnataka's gold medal winners will receive ₹1 crore, compared with ₹35 lakh under the earlier system. The award for a silver medal has been increased to ₹75 lakh, up from ₹25 lakh, while bronze medal winners will receive ₹50 lakh, compared with the previous ₹15 lakh.

The eight medal-winning athletes together account for ₹8 crore in medal-related prize money.

The beneficiaries include athletes from cricket, athletics, shooting, badminton, golf and hockey. Among them are Shreyanka R Patil, M R Poovamma, Tilottama Sen, Ayush Shetty, Sneha S S, Aditi Ashok, Pranavi S Urs and Mohit H S.

Twenty Asian Games participants to receive ₹5 lakh each

Karnataka has also expanded its support beyond medal winners. For the first time, all 20 sportspersons from the state who qualified for and participated in the Asian Games will receive ₹5 lakh each.

The measure recognises athletes who reached the continental competition even if they did not finish on the medal podium.

This means the state's incentive package covers both medal-winning performances and participation at the highest level of Asian competition.

Sports quota and government job opportunities

The state has announced additional employment-related support for accomplished athletes. Asian Games and Commonwealth Games medal winners will be eligible for consideration for direct recruitment to Group-B government posts through a committee headed by the Chief Secretary.

Karnataka has also implemented a 2% horizontal reservation for meritorious sportspersons in direct recruitment across Group A, B, C and D government positions. The measure is intended to provide athletes with greater career security after their sporting careers.

Additional support for Olympic preparation

Four athletes — Asian Games medallists M R Poovamma, Sneha S S and Shreyanka R Patil, along with Commonwealth Games medallist Shilpa K S — have also been included under the state's Olympic preparation programme for 2026-27.

Each selected athlete will receive ₹10 lakh toward preparation for future Olympic competition.

A broader push to support athletes

The Karnataka government's revised policy goes beyond rewarding podium finishes. By combining larger medal incentives, participation payments, employment opportunities and support for Olympic preparation, the state is attempting to create a stronger financial support system for athletes.

The announcement comes after Karnataka's athletes made a notable contribution to India's performance at the 2026 Asian Games. The new package is expected to provide both immediate recognition and longer-term incentives for sportspersons representing the state at major international competitions.