Tokyo gold winners to get Rs 75 lakh from IOA
New Delhi, Jul 22: The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Thursday announced that it would give the Tokyo Olympics gold medal winners a cash award of Rs 75 lakh apart from giving each of the participating National Sports Federations (NSFs) a bonus amount of Rs 25 lakh.
The IOA Advisory Committee has recommended that silver medal winners will be presented Rs 40 lakh, while the bronze winners will get richer by Rs 25 lakhs.
"It also recommended a sum of Rs. 1 lakh to each athlete representing the country at the Tokyo Olympic Games," IOA said in a statement.
The IOA has also acknowledged the suggestions of its advisory group that a bonus of Rs. 25 lakh be given to each participating NSF and a further support of Rs 30 lakh to each medal-winning NSFs.
Besides, a support of Rs.15 lakhs each will be received by other member National Sports Federations.
"This is the first time IOA is giving reward to medal winners and medal producing NSFs to such an extent," IOA secretary general Rajeev Mehta said.
The advisory group also recommended a pocket allowance of USD 50 per day to each member of the Indian contingent for their actual days of stay in Tokyo.
IOA also said that the member State Olympic Associations "will also receive a sum of Rs 15 lakh each, as a contribution from IOA towards developing sports infrastructure in the states and in encouraging more athletes to take up sports."
Mehta said: "The Indian Olympic Association understands the hardships faced by the athletes and the federations and felt that support and aid is required by all National Sports Federations, State Olympic Associations and most importantly the athletes, after having overcome the hurdles and hard times during the coronavirus pandemic since March last year."
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Bondi Beach shooting suspect conducted firearms training with his father, Australian police say
Melbourne (AP): A man accused of killing 15 people at Sydney's Bondi Beach conducted firearms training in an area of New South Wales state outside of Sydney with his father, Australian police documents released on Monday allege.
The men recorded a video about their justification for the meticulously planned attack, according to a police statement of facts that was made public following Naveed Akram's video court appearance Monday from a Sydney hospital where he has been treated for an abdominal injury.
Officers wounded Akram at the scene of the Dec. 14 shooting and killed his father, 50-year-old Sajid Akram.
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The New South Wales state government confirmed Naveed Akram was transferred on Monday from a hospital to a prison. Neither facility was identified by authorities.
The statement alleges the 24-year-old and his father began their attack by throwing four improvised explosive devices toward a crowd celebrating an annual Jewish event at Bondi Beach, but the devices failed to explode.
Police described the devices as three aluminium pipe bombs and a tennis ball bomb containing an explosive, black powder and steel ball bearings. None detonated, but police described them as “viable” IEDs.
Authorities have charged Akram with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder, 40 counts of causing harm with intent to murder in relation to the wounded survivors and one count of committing a terrorist act.
The antisemitic attack at the start of the eight-day Hanukkah celebration was Australia's worst mass shooting since a lone gunman killed 35 people in Tasmania state in 1996.
The New South Wales government introduced draft laws to Parliament on Monday that Premier Chris Minns said would become the toughest in Australia.
The new restrictions would include making Australian citizenship a condition of qualifying for a firearms license. That would have excluded Sajid Akram, who was an Indian citizen with a permanent resident visa.
Sajid Akram also legally owned six rifles and shotguns. A new legal limit for recreational shooters would be a maximum of four guns.
Police said a video found on Naveed Akram's phone shows him with his father "reciting their political and religious views and appear to summarise their justification for the Bondi terrorist attack.”
The men are seen in the video “condemning the acts of Zionists” while they also “adhere to a religiously motivated ideology linked to the Islamic State,” police said.
Video shot in October shows them “firing shotguns and moving in a tactical manner” on grassland surrounded by trees, police said.
“There is evidence that the Accused and his father meticulously planned this terrorist attack for many months,” police allege.
