Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government on Wednesday announced a cash reward of Rs 2 crore for P R Sreejesh, who played a key role in the Indian hockey team's bronze-medal winning performance at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Sports Minister V Abdurahiman also announced a promotion for Sreejesh who is a state government employee.
"Sreejesh is currently a deputy director in the Education Department. He has been promoted to the post of joint director," said Abdurahiman.
The minister claimed that the State cabinet that met in the capital on Wednesday had taken the decision in a timely manner.
Meanwhile, the government also announced Rs 5 lakh in cash prize to eight other Malayali athletes -- M Sreeshankar, K T Irfan, Jabir M P, Mohammed Anas, Sajan Prakash, Amoj Jacob, Alex Antony and Nirmal Noah Tom -- who competed in the Olympics.
Sreejesh, the 33-year-old goalkeeper, was in fine form in his third Games as India ended a 41-year wait for an Olympic medal in hockey. India edged out Germany 5-4 in the bronze medal play-off to end the medal drought.
He also became the second Keralite after ex-Indian hockey goalkeeper Manuel Fredericks to clinch an Olympic medal.
Sreeejsh, hailing from Pallikkara in Ernakulam district, was accorded a rousing reception in Kochi on Tuesday.
Sreejesh was also part of the Indian teams which won gold medal at the 2014 Asian Games and bronze at the 2018 Asian Games.
