Kashyap awarded Rs.25 lakh by BAI

The Badminton Association of India (BAI) Sunday announced cash rewards for Indian medal winners -- Parupalli Kashyap, Jwala Gutta, Ashwini Ponnappa, P.V. Sindhu and R.M.V. Gurusaidutt -- at the Commonwealth Games.

Men's singles gold medallist Kashyap will be getting a reward of Rs.25 lakh while women's doubles silver medallists Jwala and Ashwini will be awarded Rs.10 lakh each. Singles bronze medallists Sindhu (women's) and Gurusaidutt (men's) will get Rs.5 lakh each.

Kashyap ended India's 32-year wait for a men's singles title defeating Singapore's Zi Liang Derek Wong 21-14, 11-21, 21-19 in Glasgow. By doing this, the 27-year-old emulated former champions Prakash Padukone (1978) and Syed Modi (1982) to clinch his first major championship.

Jwala and Ashwini, however, lost the women's doubles final 17-21, 21-23 to Malaysians Vivian Kah Mun Hoo and Khe Wei Woon to settle for the silver. Earlier, Gurusaidutt and Sindhu's had won their respective bronze medal playoffs Saturday.

"While Kashyap would be honoured with a cash prize of Rs.25 lakh, Jwala and Ashwini will receive Rs.10 lakh each, Sindhu and Gurusaidutt (Rs.5 lakh) and Kidambi Srikanth and P.C. Tulasi (Rs.1 lakh)," BAI president Akhilesh Das Gupta said in a statement.

Das Gupta also thanked chief national coach Pullela Gopi Chand, coach Madhumita Bisht, other support staff, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the Sports Ministry for all the support and added that they were now focused on winning medals in next month's Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.

"The Indian team would be further strengthened by the return of Saina Nehwal and I am confident that we will bring back medals from Incheon as well," Das Gupta added.