Promise Made, Goal Missed: ‘Mini Brazil’ Footballers And Khelo MP Winners Still Await Prize Money Months After Announcements

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Nearly 11 months later, the football teams of Madhya Pradesh’s Mini Brazil are still awaiting the ₹10 lakh reward announced by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. The Chief Minister had announced at a function in Beohari in Shahdol district on June 9 last year.

At the state level, Kol Janjatiya Sammelan, Yadav felicitated members of nine football teams from Vicharpur and their coaches. Addressing them, he said he was elated to see their dedication to the sport and also signed autographs on their footballs. He announced a reward of ₹10 lakh for the teams, but the amount has not yet reached them.

“We have got nothing to date,” said one of the players. Sports department joint director BS Yadav said the money was used to finance the trip of five players to Germany.

In October last year, five young players from Vicharpur travelled to Germany for advanced training at football club Ingolstadt 04 on the invitation of the club’s CEO, Dietmar Beiersdorfer. This followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioning Mini Brazil and praising its players in his Mann Ki Baat programme.

Khelo MP winners yet to get prize money

The Rs-4 crore prize money for state-level winners of Khelo MP Youth Games 2026, held in January this year, has not yet reached the players. An award of ₹31,000 was earmarked for the first position, ₹21,000 for the second and ₹11,000 for the third across all 28 sporting disciplines in the event. A senior sports department official said the amount was transferred to district sports officers who will distribute it to the players concerned.