Ritu Negi was left out of Himachal Pradesh's Rs 1 crore reward list for the women's kabaddi gold medalists.
She has worn the national jersey for three straight Asian Games, bagging two golds and a silver, and captained the 2023 Hangzhou squad to a triumphant 37‑34 win over Iran. That victory earned her a cash award from Himachal, a gesture that made her name familiar in every state‑budget announcement.
When Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu announced the Rs 1 crore stipend for the 2026 gold‑medal team, the list read Pushpa Rana, Jyoti Thakur and Bhawna Thakur. Negi—married in Panipat yet still representing Himachal in domestic circuits—was conspicuously absent. The decision left her and her father, Bhavan Singh Negi, scratching heads, as the precedent of a prior award stood in stark contrast.
But the controversy has stretched beyond a missing cheque. It has turned into a question of identity: does marrying outside the state strip an athlete of her hometown status? “Why is Himachal behaving this way at this stage of my career?” Negi demanded, while the CM’s Facebook post and calls from former CM Jairam Thakur and MP Anurag Thakur seem to have been given a lukewarm reply.
The fallout could force Himachal to rethink its award policy, especially for women who juggle personal milestones with national glory. As the state prepares to announce the next batch of incentives, all eyes will be on whether the current omission will be corrected or become a cautionary tale for future champions.