Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today said that the online graduation certificates would be issued to the sportspersons in the state and they need not have to visit the government offices for obtaining it.

He also announced to increase the diet money from Rs 100 to Rs 150 per day.

Hooda was speaking at a state level function organised by the Haryana Olympic Association and Sports and Youth Welfare Department to launch the Sports and Physical Aptitude Test (SPAT)-2011 at Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Gurgaon, an official release said here.

He said that the 'Talent Hunt' programme under SPAT-2010 was extremely successful and about 80000 players applied for this test in the month of May last.

Out of these, 46,000 players actually participated and 1,606 players who scored more than 75 per cent marks were selected for granting scholarships.

The idea was to identify the budding sports persons in the state and groom them from the earlier stage. The target was to select 3000 players through SPAT.

He expected that in the SPAT-2011, more than 20 lakh players would participate as the first phase of the programme will be conducted in the schools.

He said that after the first phase, the sports department would again take test of these players and those who scored more than 75 per cent would be selected for scholarships.

An amount of Rs 1500 was given to the players in the age group of 8-14 years and Rs 2000 were given to players between the age of 15-19 years. .

Hooda said that 300 stadiums were constructed in the state, out of which 173 have been handed over to the sports department.

He said that coaches, groundsmen and managers would soon be appointed.

The chief minister said that three per cent of posts in Haryana Police have been reserved for outstanding players. The medal winners from the state at the national and international level would be appointed as DSP in Haryana Police so as to promote sports.

He said that the state government has provided sports equipments worth Rs one lakh each in 619 villages and work to provide these equipments in equal number of villages was in progress.

He said that in Haryana a data base of 35000 sports persons has been created which is perhaps the biggest database in the country.

The Chief Minister honoured 1606 players selected under SPAT-2010 and presented a certificate and smart card to each of them. The smart card has the complete bio-data of the player.

Hooda said that the scholarship money would be remitted directly into to bank account of the players.

Hooda also presented cheques of honorarium to 55 Arjuna Awardees and 9 Dronacharya Awardees of the state.

An honorarium of 5000 per month would be given to each of them and on this the state government would incurr Rs 48.50 lakh.