Geet Sethi has the
FM thinking ... or so we hope
The future of
Indian sport is bright only if their Elite sports persons lead the
way. But what happens is that when such people talk against the
federation the federation hits back at them when it comes to
selection. Sometimes sports folk need to fire the gun from someone
else’s shoulder.
But it is good to
see at least one sportsperson being frank and openly being critical
of the sports budget for 2008-09. Geet Sethi, for many, India’s
all-time great sportsperson, has given his reaction to the budget in
an article in Mid-day
He makes the
following points
1.
Sport folk who fall under the Olympic platform will look at the
Rs.781.83-crore sports budget and bear the sad news with
indignation, frustration and anger.
2.
The allocation of Rs.781.83 Crore for sport, clearly reflects the
lack of priority in our collective political mindset. It is easy to
discard and marginalize sport with arguments over the need to
eradicate poverty and provide water, electricity to our villages.
3.
The money filtering down to the athletes will not be more than Rs.50
Crore.
4.
When we come back from the Beijing Olympics in August, yet again
empty handed or at best with a solitary medal, I will write another
piece reminding you to give sport and sportspersons more dignity,
power, priority and of course MONEY.
Sethi asks the following questions:
If the sports budget is meant for us sportspersons, why should our
track and field athletes train in perhaps the most pitiable
conditions, staying in cockroach-infested dormitories.?
Why reimbursement bills of medal-winning are not cleared with the
same speed and intent as those of ministers when they get back from
business trips?
And don’t think
Sethi is just talking big. He has put action where his mouth is.
Sethi and badminton
great Prakash Padukone, through Gold Quest, a sports fund promoted
by them will help Olympic shooting gold hope Gagan Narang to fund
his requirements till 2012.
Gagan Narang has
applied for a grant of Rs.40 Lakh which is his requirement till the
Beijing Olympics for ammunition, equipment, travel and for
professional coaching. Gold Quest has agreed to bridge the gap
between Rs.40 Lakh and what gets sanctioned by the government.
Gagan said:
"I am relieved and highly motivated with this
generous and timely financial and moral support and hope that I can
achieve at least one Olympic gold out of the events that I have
qualified for at the Beijing Olympics. I have just received the
first installment of Rs.5 Lakh which will be put to use immediately."
The fund, whose
other founding promoters are DSP Merryl Lynch vice-chairman Shitin
Desai and co-founder of Sify Ltd R. Ramaraj, has Rakesh Khanna as
its executive head. Khanna said: "We at Gold
Quest are committed to providing financial support to athletes with
a potential of winning India an Olympic gold. Gagan Narang has the
talent, potential and deep resolve to reach the pinnacle of his
sport and we are glad to be able to assist him."
So if the saying
gold helps those who help themselves, Sethi and his tribe of sports
folk won’t miss out on divine help even if they miss out on the help
of our great government of India and its 'kanjoos'
finance minister.
Pradeep Vijayakar
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