Rathore rewards Lakshmanan with ₹10 lakh

Lakshmanan had stepped off the track momentarily, as he was hit by the spike of another athlete.

“To encourage the athlete to keep doing the hard work and strive for the medals, the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore (second from right) rewarded him ₹10 lakh,” read a statement from the Sports Ministry.

Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore rewarded Indian athlete Govindan Lakshmanan with ₹10 lakh on Thursday, acknowledging the long distance runner’s performance in the 10,000m race, in which he was dramatically disqualified after finishing third.

Lakshmanan had stepped off the track momentarily, as he was hit by the spike of another athlete. The Indian team protested against the disqualification at two levels, but it was turned down.

“To encourage the athlete to keep doing the hard work and strive for the medals, the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Col. Rajyavardhan Rathore rewarded him ₹10 lakh,” read a statement from the Sports Ministry.