Ritu Negi left off Himachal reward list as minister promises review
Himachal Pradesh has offered one crore rupees each to three women’s kabaddi players after India’s Asian Games gold, but former national captain Ritu Negi was absent from the revised list despite having represented the state and receiving a reward after the 2023 Games.
Negi, an Arjuna Award recipient from Shillai in Sirmaur district, has competed for India at three consecutive Asian Games, winning two gold medals and one silver. She captained the women’s team to gold in Hangzhou in 2023 and was part of the squad that beat Iran 37–34 in the Aichi-Nagoya final.
The omission drew attention because Negi had been included in the state’s earlier congratulations and had received a cash award after the 2023 Games. She told reporters she could not understand what had changed and said she had represented Himachal Pradesh, rather than Haryana, in domestic competitions despite working for Indian Railways and being married in Panipat.
The latest award followed a dispute over the original amount. Three kabaddi players from Himachal Pradesh — Pushpa Rana, Jyoti Thakur and Bhawna Thakur — had initially been told they would receive 33 lakh rupees each. After they met Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, the state raised the announced award to one crore rupees each and offered government jobs in the police or the Youth Services and Sports Department.
The revised announcement also named Indian women’s cricket player Renuka Thakur for a one-crore-rupee award. Negi’s father, Bhavan Singh Negi, questioned why marriage outside the state should affect recognition for his daughter, recalling that she had received a Himachal award after the 2023 Games.
The government has not publicly explained why Negi was omitted. Sports Minister Yadvinder Goma said he would examine the file and discuss the issue with the chief minister. The Tribune independently reported the omission and the minister’s stated intention to review it. As of the latest reports, the government had not announced whether the list would change.
