New Delhi: The Government is working out an attractive incentive scheme to encourage services sportspersons to go for a big medal haul at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Defence Minister AK Antony said here yesterday (Jan 16, 2007).

"We are working on such a scheme," the Minister said at a function organised at South Block to felicitate 13 medallists from the recent Doha Asian Games.

Though the Defence Ministry already has an incentive scheme to encourage sportsmen, the new scheme, Antony said, would be made more attractive.

The Minister gave away cash awards of Rs one lakh each to Naib Subedar Vijay Kumar, a member of the Gold medal winning team in the 25m centre fire pistol event, and Naik Subedars Vikash Kumar and Sukhbir Singh, members of the Kabbbadi team which also won the gold medal.

Several others sportsmen were presented with cheques of Rs 75,000 each.

They were double trap shooting silver medallist Lt Col Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Havaldar Aboobacker Thannikal, a member of the silver winning 4x400m relay team, and rowers Havaldar Bajrang Lal (Rajputana Rifles) silver medallist in Single scull class and Subedar Janil Krishan and Havaldars Sukhjeet Singh, D Sangawan and Satish Joshi -who won silver in the coxless four team event.