Same Gold Medal, Very Different State Rewards Kiran Pahal of Haryana and M.R. Poovamma of Karnataka were part of the same Indian women’s 4×400m relay team that won gold at the 2026 Asian Games, alongside Prachi Choudhary and Vithya Ramraj. India clocked 3:29.69 to take the title. But their state-level incentives highlight a striking difference. Under Haryana’s cash-award scheme, an Asian Games gold medal carries a ₹3 crore reward, with team and individual events eligible at the same rates. Poovamma, meanwhile, has publicly said Karnataka currently offers ₹35 lakh for an Asian Games gold and has urged the state government to increase incentives for athletes. Same race, same national flag, same gold medal — should an athlete’s state of residence create such a huge difference in reward money? Follow onevisionmedia.in to stay informed and updated❗ #KiranPahal #MRPoovamma #AsianGames2026 #TeamIndia #IndianAthletics GoldMedal Haryana Karnataka SportsPolicy IndianSports OneVisionMedia