Sportspersons hailing from Kerala are unhappy with the way they are being treated by the state government. Much recently after his historic bronze medal in Asian Games, Star shuttler HS Prannoy voiced out the poor treatment meted out to him and has opted to move out of the state. Now it’s Indian hockey star P R Sreejesh who has alleged the neglect of sportspersons by the Kerala government.
Sreejesh was part of the gold medal winning Indian Men’s Hockey team at the Asian Games. It was the veteran goal-keeper’s second Asian Games gold medal. With the win, the team also earned a direct qualification to the Paris Olympics.
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Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Sreejesh said that since he has returned from China, no one even from the local bodies has come to visit him. While, West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose, who is from Kerala, met him at his residence in Kochi. Sreejesh went on to criticised the political class in the state.
He said the treatment sportspersons get now is being seen by the next generation. “They may feel discouraged by such treatment and may opt for studies to get a job, rather than go for sports,” he contended.
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Kerala Government rejects Sreejesh’s claims
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan meanwhile has rejected Sreejesh’s claims. He said that his Left government was providing all kinds of support and encouragement to sportspersons and athletes from the state.
He even gave a list of the cash prizes given to Sreejesh and other Kerala sportspersons in the past. Apart from giving cash rewards, he claimed that around Rs 40 lakh has been sanctioned in the last few years for improving the training infrastructure for sportspersons in the state.
Players continue to shift allegiance to other states
However despite the CM’s claim, it is an inevitable truth that athletes from Kerala are continuing to shift their allegiance to neighbouring states. Prannoy has already opted to move to Tamil Nadu. Meanwhile, according to reports, international triple jump stars Eldhose Paul and Abdullah Abubakar have also announced that they were leaving Kerala.
Recently, Leader of Opposition in the Assembly V D Satheesan had demanded that the Kerala government take urgent measures to prevent athletes from leaving the state. He urged the government to provide them with the jobs and rewards announced by the administration.
Apart from Sreejesh, Long Jumper Murali Sreeshankar and Athlete Jinson Johnson are some of the other athletes hailing from Kerala. Sreeshankar won silver medal at the recently concluded Asiad. Jinson Johnson meanwhile won bronze in the Men’s 1500m.
