Promised land still far away for State’s jewels

Promised land still far away for State’s jewels

Mangalore Today News Network

April 6: AC Ashwini, who won the 400M hurdles gold at the Asian Games, was disappointed with the way the government was treating athletes from their own State.

A day after India’s stunning six-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the final of the cricket World Cup at the Wankhede stadium on April 2, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa announced BDA sites for the players, but the move hasn’t gone down well with the State’s sporting fraternity.

Some of the State’s finest athletes have been promised BDA sites in the past after their feats on the international stages but they are yet to receive them. Six-time World billiards champion Pankaj Advani was promised a site for his achievement in November 2009 but the star cueist has been forced to endure a frustrating wait. The case is similar with many other sportspersons as well.

AC Ashwini, who won the 400M hurdles gold at the Asian Games, was disappointed with the way the government was treating athletes from their own State. “They promised to give us land long back but nothing has happened,” the lanky athlete who also won the 4x400M relay gold said.

“I agree that the cricketers deserve accolades for their show but it’s ridiculous to give them sites when you don’t give land to people from your own State.

“There is not one player from Karnataka representing India in the cricket team, I don’t see why the government has to do this. This is injustice and I don’t know if anyone will ask them about such things. No one asks them and that’s why they continue to do all this.”

“We don’t have infrastructure, we don’t have proper training and then after all that they want Olympians. They can’t even encourage us to do better by improving our standards of living!” she added.

 

Athletes from the state, who won medals in the Commonwealth and Asian Games were for long ignored by the government. They were eventually given cash awards at a felicitation function. Gold medal winners received Rs 10 lakh for each medal won, while silver and bronze medal winners were given Rs 7 lakh and Rs 5 lakh respectively. Mangalore’s Ashwini Akkunji, who won two gold medals at the Asian Games and one at the Commonwealth Games, was awarded Rs 30 lakh. But there was no promise of a BDA site.

Badminton player Ashwini Ponnappa, who was also forced into believing that a BDA site would be hers following a gold medal-winning effort at the Delhi Commonwealth Games this year, said: “This is very sad. The Indian cricket team has done all of us proud and we respect them for their feat.

“We are even okay with the Government promising them land but I personally would be very sad if they get the land before we do because we were promised first. They shouldn’t make such promises if they can’t live upto it, and what’s the guarantee that the Indian team will get the land?”Dhns