At the outset, I want to place on record my heartiest congratulations to PV Sindhu for her phenomenal achievement. Much like the rest of the country, I'm very proud of her. I don't think there is anything wrong in giving cash awards to deserving athletes from other states.
That said, it is heartbreaking to see the way athletes from
Karnataka are treated. I don't know why they fail to understand that we too need encouragement.
Cash awards, especially in individual sport, go a long way in helping athletes achieve and perform better.
There are so many athletes whose achievements go unnoticed by the government. Or simply, the government does not keep its promises.
I'm a classic example. In 2017, I became the first Grandmaster from Karnataka. I received a lot of accolades and adulation from people. The government announced a cash reward. I was elated. After exhausting my funds, I had borrowed money as well to become a Grandmaster and when the reward was announced, I set my sights on becoming a Super Grandmaster. To become a SGM I had to invest a lot of money for playing tournaments abroad and coaching. The cash award would have eased my financial burden.
But instead of money, we have got only false assurances. It is disheartening because over the past three years, my father has paid a visit to the Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports office in Bengaluru every month, only to be told that, "the file is under process."
While the file is being ‘processed', I have stopped participating in events abroad owing to paucity of funds. For almost three years now I have been competing only in the country and also shelved the plans of undergoing coaching.
Just not me, I'm sure most athletes would agree, such moves from the government makes us wonder, "what does our achievements mean to our state government?"
(As told to Manuja Veerappa)
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