Rs 1 Crore for Puspa Rana: Pending World Cup Prize Money Sought

Shimla, October 31: Puspa Rana, the captain of the Indian women's kabaddi team, has been awarded Rs 1 crore by the Himachal Pradesh government in recognition of the team's Asian Games gold medal. The team's victory brought pride to both the nation and the state.

Puspa Rana said she was thankful to the Chief Minister, Sukhvinder Singh Sukkhu, and the state government for increasing the award from Rs 33 lakh, the amount first announced, to Rs 1 crore. She conveyed the thanks of the whole squad for the respect and support they have received.

She also appealed for two things. First, the pending World Cup prize money should be released soon. Second, the players should be given government jobs. She noted that the team had spent 14 to 15 years building toward this success. In her view, athletes who bring honour to Himachal and India need both respect and financial help to cover their essential needs.

Puspa Rana described employment as the biggest need for players today. She said that she had met the Chief Minister many times on the issue and had been given positive assurances. She expressed confidence that the government would respond to the job demand as it had to the cash award request.

The Indian women's team won the Asian Games 2026 gold medal by defeating Iran 37-34 in the final. It is the second time in a row the team has won this title, after its Hangzhou 2023 triumph.

India had also prevailed in the Women's Kabaddi World Cup 2025 final, beating Chinese Taipei 35-28. That was the team's second consecutive World Cup title. The country had previously won the first edition of the event, staged in Patna in 2012.