Rinku Singh to become Regional Sports Officer:UP CM Yogi Adityanath will hand over appointment letters to several athletes today

Ahead of the IPL 2026, Rinku Singh is set to receive key responsibility as the Regional Sports Officer (RSO) as per the Sports Directorate of Uttar Pradesh. The appointment letters are expected to be handed over to athletes at the UP Sports award ceremony today. Notably, Rinku is part of the Kolkata Knight Riders. Known for his prowess as a match-finisher, Rinku is currently entirely focused on Indian Premier League, which is set to start from March 28. Rinku Singh set to receive key responsibility The Uttar Pradesh government is in the process of offering government jobs to several athletes, including Rinku, who was part of the T20 World Cup 2026 winning team. Apart from the 28-year-old, the list of beneficiaries includes the names of several other athletes. Praveen Kumar, who delivered a stellar performance in para-athletics, and Raj Kumar Pal, a hockey medallist at the Paris Olympics, are set to be appointed to the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police. Also Read: Abhishek, Ishan, Head lead fiery batting, but bowling lacks sting: SRH SWOT Analysis CM Yogi Adityanath to hand over appointment letters Additionally, para-athletes Ajit Singh and Simran will be appointed as District Panchayat Raj Officers, while Preeti Pal will be appointed as the Block Development Officer. All these appointments are being made under the “Uttar Pradesh International Medal Winners Direct Recruitment Rules-2022,” a framework designed to honour athletes who have won medals at major international platforms such as the Olympics, Paralympics, Commonwealth Games, and Asian Games. On Tuesday, March 24, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will personally hand over the appointment letters to these athletes at the Lok Bhawan in Lucknow. KKR’s first match on March 29 Notably, in the 2026 IPL season, Rinku Singh’s team, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), will start their campaign on March 29. KKR’s opening fixture will be against the Mumbai Indians. This match is scheduled to take place at the Wankhede Stadium. Rinku Singh will be aiming to make a significant impact in the IPL right from the very first match. Rinku has been an integral part of the KKR squad since 2018. He has scored 1,099 runs for Kolkata in 59 IPL matches, including four half-centuries. During this period, his average has been 30.52 and his strike rate 145.17. Additionally, para-athletes Ajit Singh and Simran will serve as District Panchayat Raj Officers, while Preeti Pal has been appointed as a Block Development Officer. These appointments follow a 2022 government rule in Uttar Pradesh that allows international medal winners from events like the Olympics, Paralympics and Asian Games to be hired directly for government roles. Official Appointment Letters to be handed by Yogi Adityanath On Tuesday, 24th March, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will hand out the official appointment letters at the Lok Bhavan in Lucknow. Additionally, nine exceptional athletes will be honoured with the prestigious Laxman Award for men and the Rani Laxmibai Award for women. Also Read: IPL broadcast ban in Bangladesh under review: BCB clears players to participate in PSL 2026 The Laxman Award for the “General Category” includes three athletes: hockey player Uttam Singh from Ghazipur, gymnast Abhijit Kumar from Prayagraj and wrestler Jonty Kumar from Gautam Buddha Nagar. In the “Para Category,” the award will be given to para-canoeing athlete Yash Kumar from Agra and para-athletics star Praveen Kumar from Gautam Buddha Nagar. The Rani Laxmibai Award will be given to four athletes: Prachi in athletics from Saharanpur, Tanya Chaudhary in athletics from Baghpat, Vantika Agrawal in chess from Gautam Buddha Nagar, and Pragati Kesarwani (para table-tennis) from Lucknow. Those who win the Laxman or Rani Laxmibai awards will receive a bronze statue, a certificate of honour, and ₹3.11 lakh in prize money.