Chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, on Thursday, announced a cash reward of Rs. 50 lakh to badminton star Saina Nehwal, who recently won the Indonesia Open Super Series title after beating China's Xuerui Li, in Jakarta.
In a message, the chief minister said, "Saina Nehwal has brought laurels to badminton, and also for the State of Andhra Pradesh."
He wished that Saina wins a gold medal in the Olympics scheduled to be held in London.
This is the first time that the state government has announced such a large amount as reward to a sportsperson.
The CM said that the government is now according sports a high priority, and that it has allotted Rs. 200 crore towards the field in the budget this year.
He said that the government was also constructing a sports stadium in each Assembly constituency to promote talent, especially in the rural areas. (INN)