Win a medal, get a cow in Haryana

Haryana has a different kind of gift for its sports achievers now – a cow.

The state’s animal husbandry minister Om Prakash Dhankar has added the animal to the list of prizes for sports achievers in the state, because of the “benefits” of its milk.

The cows would be of local variety, and would give more than 10 litres of milk every day, the minister who is also president of the Haryana Boxing Association said, according to a report in The Indian Express. He was presiding over a function in Rohtak to felicitate the state’s six medal winners at the Women’s Youth World Boxing Championships that ended in Guwahati last week.

“(Unlike buffalo’s milk) cow’s milk contains less fat and is beneficial for boxers… a cow is very active, while a buffalo sleeps most of the time. Haryana main kehte hain, haanga chahiye toh bhains ka doodh, aur khoobsarti aur dimag chahiye, toh gai ka doodh (They say in Haryana that if you want power, drink buffalo milk; and if you want beauty and brains, drink cow’s milk). These boxers have done the country proud at the world level and we want them to excel more,” he was quoted as saying.

The boxers, who have often been lauded with cash prizes, government jobs, land, and even luxury cars, were taken aback at the gift. While some welcomed it, others wondered where they would tether the cow.

However, the addresses of the six achievers – gold medal winners Nitu (48 kg), Jyoti Guliya (51 kg), Sakshi Dhanda (54 kg), Shashi Chopra (57 kg), and bronze winners Anupama (81 kg) and Neha Yadav (81+ kg) – have been noted, and the four-legged prize will be delivered at their doorstep soon, the report said.