On 1 Oct 2026, CM Vijay announced ₹30 lakh each for Joshna Chinappa, Shameena Riyaz, Velavan Senthilkumar and Abhay Singh after India’s women’s and men’s squash team bronzes at the Asian Games.
Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Thursday, October 1, 2026, announced a cash incentive of ₹30 lakh each for four Tamil Nadu squash players who won bronze medals in the team events at the 20th Asian Games in Japan — Joshna Chinappa and Shameena Riyaz in the women’s team, and Velavan Senthilkumar and Abhay Singh in the men’s team.
| Event | Indian team | Tamil Nadu players rewarded |
|---|---|---|
| Women’s team | Anahat Singh, Tanvi Khanna, Joshna Chinappa, Shameena Riyaz | Joshna Chinappa, Shameena Riyaz — ₹30 lakh each |
| Men’s team | Including Velavan Senthilkumar and Abhay Singh | Velavan Senthilkumar, Abhay Singh — ₹30 lakh each |
In a post on X, the Chief Minister extended his heartfelt congratulations to the Indian team for its historic bronze in the women’s squash team event, and to Tamil Nadu’s Joshna Chinappa and Shameena Riyaz who were part of it, wishing them many more laurels that would raise the pride of Tamil Nadu and India on the global stage (PTI). He congratulated the men’s team, and Tamil Nadu’s Velavan Senthilkumar and Abhay Singh, in the same way (DT Next).
For Joshna Chinappa and Velavan Senthilkumar, it is a second reward at these Games: on September 26, the Chief Minister had announced ₹30 lakh each for the pair after their mixed doubles bronze. Joshna and Shameena are both from Chennai, and the players were recognised by the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu for their performance (PTI).
| Date | Award |
|---|---|
| 26 Sep | Joshna Chinappa & Velavan Senthilkumar — squash mixed doubles bronze — ₹30 lakh each |
| 29 Sep | Vithya Ramraj — 400m hurdles bronze (national record) — ₹30 lakh |
| 29 Sep | Vithya Ramraj — women’s 4×400m relay gold — ₹75 lakh |
| 1 Oct | Joshna Chinappa, Shameena Riyaz, Velavan Senthilkumar, Abhay Singh — squash team bronzes — ₹30 lakh each |
Sources: PTI (via ThePrint and Deccan Herald), DT Next, CMO Tamil Nadu on X.
Asian Games 2026 Squash Day 144