Karnataka's Incheon medalists upset with 'poor' cash awards

BANGALORE: Three women Incheon Asian Games gold medallists took up cudgels for the sports fraternity of Karnataka, seeking better rewards for success on the international stage.
Relay gold winner MR Poovamma said she'd run for a state which backed her rather than Karnataka if the state continued with its "indifference".
Champion kabaddi team's captain Tejaswini Bai and member Mamatha Poojary aired concern about the government's cash award of Rs 10 lakh which compared poorly with awards given by other states, particularly Haryana and Gujarat which offered Rs 2 crore for an Asian Games gold medal.
The state's Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), which heard Mamatha's plea on Thursday on her return to Bangalore, said it would place the request before sports minister Abhaya Chandra Jain.
Poovamma said she was disappointed on two counts: the inadequate cash prize and the lack of support from the government. "I feel let down when I compare myself with my team of 4x400m relay runners. Priyanka Panwar of Uttar Pradesh gets Rs 50 lakh, Mandeep Kaur (Punjab) gets Rs 26 lakh, Tintu Luka (Kerala) Rs 15 lakh while I get Rs 10 lakh. The amount is just not enough considering the sacrifices that led to this gold medal," she told TOI from Mangalore.
"We're sad and hurt over the poor cash rewards offered by our state government. Our fellow teammates from Haryana, Maharashtra and other states have been given awards beginning from Rs 50 lakh. It's really demoralising. This time I was expecting the government would announce a handsome cash incentive for us," Mamatha said.
DYES officials said it's disappointing that the athletes had to rise in protest against guidelines announced by chief minister Siddaramaiah in this year's budget. "They would have got Rs 2 lakh ­ as the gold winners did last year ­ had the guidelines not come into force. But since they're not happy, we'll place their request before the sports minister. The final decision rests with the CM," sources told TOI.
Poovamma was puzzled by the anomalies in the guidelines. "A gold medal in the Commonwealth Games fetches Rs 25 lakh but the cash award for gold in Asian Games, where the quality of competition is much higher, is Rs 10 lakh. How did the government place CWG above Asiad?" she asked.
Poovamma, 24, who has targeted a medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics, says the next two years will be crucial for her. She's keen on hiring professionals ­ coach, physio, masseur and trainer ­ and wants the government or sponsors from Karnataka to provide support.