Manipur CM announces Rs 75 lacs cash reward and a govt job for Nilakanta Sharma

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh announced that Shanglakpam Nilakanta Sharma, a member of the Indian men's hockey team, which won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics will get a cash award of 75 lakh and a suitable state government job.

The chief minister talked to Nilakanta over the phone on Thursday and assured him of a suitable state government job. He also congratulated all the players of the Indian hockey team for winning the bronze medal.

A resolute Indian men's hockey team rewrote history as it claimed an Olympic medal after 41 years, defeating a plucky Germany 5-4 to win the bronze in an edge-of-the-seat play-off match of the ongoing Tokyo Games on Thursday.

Biren told Nilakanta that he will be given a cash award of Rs 75 lakh as announced by him earlier that a player from Manipur earning a gold medal in Tokyo Olympic will get Rs 1.2 crore, silver medal Rs 1 crore and Rs 75 lakh for a bronze medal.

Nilakanta is a resident of Kontha Ahallup Makha Leikai area of Manipur's Imphal East district.

Meanwhile, Shanglakpam Kunjarani Devi, mother of Nilakanta Sharma told PTI over the telephone that she has no words to express her happiness over the winning of a bronze medal by her son's hockey team in Tokyo Olympic and added that all members of her family are very happy for her son's achievement.

People of Nilakanta's locality celebrated the Indian men's hockey team winning the bronze medal by performing Thabak Chongba, a traditional Manipuri group dance.