Rajasthan's champions run pillar to post as crores in prize money remain unpaid

This report on 5ive Live, hosted by Sonal Mehrotra Kapoor, exposes how medal-winning athletes in Rajasthan are trapped in bureaucratic delays, waiting years for promised prize money. Asian Games paramedalist Rakesh owes Rs 8-10 lakh for state and national medals won between 2021 and 2025. National hammer throw record-holder Neeraj Kumar has waited over 4 years for Rs 50-70,000. Disc thrower Praveen Kumar Nehra hasn't received Rs 5 lakh since 2016-2017, with a 2019 guideline blocking pre-2019 payments. Cyclist Devendra Bishnui, despite winning 8 medals, has received nothing, while competitive cycles cost over Rs 5 lakh. Nearly 90 per cent of medal winners remain unpaid, forcing some champions into survival jobs like cab driving and food delivery. The Rajasthan Sports Council attributes delays to "ongoing processes" and new online systems, but athletes continue waiting while their careers and financial stability deteriorate.