Himachals Pushpa Rana Receives ₹1 Crore Reward for Asian Games Gold, Calls for Job Support

Shimla, October 31 (Daily Kiran) : Pushpa Rana, the captain of the Indian women’s kabaddi team, has been awarded ₹1 crore by the Himachal Pradesh government for her outstanding performance at the Asian Games. The recognition comes after her team secured a gold medal, defeating Iran 37-34 in the finals.

Expressing her gratitude, Rana thanked Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu for increasing the initially announced cash prize of ₹33 lakh to ₹1 crore. She acknowledged the support from the government and the love shown to her and her team.

In addition to the cash award, Rana urged the government to expedite the release of pending World Cup prize money. She highlighted the dedication and hard work of athletes, who train for 14 to 15 years to achieve such milestones. To truly honor their contributions, she emphasized the need for financial assistance.

Rana also raised the issue of job opportunities for athletes, stating that employment is a crucial requirement for them. She mentioned having met with the Chief Minister on several occasions regarding this matter and received positive assurances. Rana expressed hope that the government would respond favorably to this request, just as it did with the cash award.

The Indian women’s kabaddi team has now claimed the Asian Games gold medal for the second consecutive time, following their previous victory in Hangzhou 2023. Prior to this, they won the Women’s Kabaddi World Cup 2025 by defeating Chinese Taipei 35-28, marking their second World Cup title after also winning the inaugural tournament in Patna in 2012.