Railways approves new promotion policy for athletes

Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has approved a new policy for promotion of Railway sportspersons according to which besides the sportspersons who won a medal, the sportspersons and coaches who have been awarded Padma Shri will be also be promoted as officers.

The Railway Ministry , in a statement, said that the sportspersons, who have made two appearances in Olympics, and won a medal in Asian Games or Common Wealth Games will be promoted to the officer rank.

"Further Railway sportsperson who are winners of any of the awards like Arjuna or Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award would also be entitled to the said promotion," the statement added.

The ministry also noted that any coach whose trainees have produced at least three medal-winning performances in Olympic Games or World Cup or World Championship or Asian Games or Commonwealth Games including at least one medal in Olympic Games would be eligible to be promoted as an Officer.

"This liberalized promotion policy will act as an incentive to the country's elite sportspersons and coaches and reaffirms Railways commitment to the promotion of sports in the country," the statement added.

In April 2018, during the felicitation function organised by Railway Sports Promotion Board for the medal winners of CWG 2018, Goyal had announced that Railways would soon bring a promotion policy to address the legitimate aspirations of the Railway athletes.