The West Bengal government has begun the process of appointing 78 medal-winning sportspersons to government posts, with the state administration publishing verification rolls before their recruitment. The move revives the sports-quota employment process for athletes who have won medals for Bengal at the National Games and other competitions.
According to a report by Sangbad Pratidin – Kolkata, the appointments will be made on the recommendation of the Youth Services and Sports Department. The selected athletes will be considered for posts including section officer, upper division assistant, lower division assistant and Group D positions.
Candidates must download the verification roll from the department’s website and complete it in duplicate. They have been asked to submit copies of documents including certificates proving their medal-winning performances. The completed forms and supporting documents must be placed in a sealed envelope and sent by post within 15 working days or deposited in the drop box at Room 703 on the seventh floor of Nabanna, the state secretariat.
Sportspersons who are already employed in government service have also been instructed to inform their current employer and the concerned department about the recruitment process. The published list includes athletes who won medals at the latest National Games edition in 2025 as well as those who achieved results in earlier editions.
The government’s action follows the payment of prize money to Bengal athletes who won medals at the National Games. The athletes were presented with awards at Nabanna by the chief minister on National Sports Day on 29 August, according to the report.
The recruitment process covers athletes who won medals during both the previous Trinamool Congress administration and the earlier Left Front period. The report said the sports-quota employment process had remained effectively inactive for about a decade during the Trinamool Congress government, and that the present administration is now taking steps to address pending appointments.
West Bengal Sports Minister Indranil Kha said the government would take responsibility for providing jobs so that athletes could focus on their sporting careers. He also said the state wanted to bring back sportspersons who had left Bengal over the past decade to pursue opportunities elsewhere and prevent others from leaving.
The immediate next step for the 78 candidates is the submission of completed verification rolls and supporting documents within the 15-working-day deadline. The appointments will proceed after the state authorities complete the verification process and assess the submitted records.
