The Hindu : Cash awards hike falls short of expectations

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Apr 02, 2004

Sport

Sport - Sports : General

Cash awards hike falls short of expectations

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, APRIL 1. The Union Government has decided to double the cash awards under the incentive scheme for those winning medals in major international competitions. But the approved hike not only falls short of expectations but also does not take into account the achievements recorded in the year 2003.

While sanctioning a hundred per cent increase in the cash awards over the 1998-2001pattern, the Finance Ministry has also sanctioned funds to meet the hike in awards announced for the 2002 Asian Games and Commonwealth Games medal winners as a ``one-time exception''.

However, since the new scheme will come into effect only from 2004, the performances recorded in the year 2003, including some of the most outstanding feats in the history of Indian sports, might be rewarded under the old scheme. Those who might suffer in that event will include long jumper Anju Bobby George, shooters Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore (World championship bronze) and Anjali Vedpathak-Bhagwat (two World Cup gold medals) and the IBSF world snooker champion Pankaj Advani.

The Union Sports Ministry is still making efforts to salvage a decent deal for the 2003 medal winners, but the Finance Ministry has not relented so far.

After having waited for more than a year in anticipation of the increased amount under the incentive scheme, the medal winners of the 2002 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games can now relax, in the knowledge that they will soon be richer by several lakh rupees. Last year, all of them were paid under the old format: Rs. 5 lakh for gold, Rs. 3 lakh for silver and Rs 2 lakh for bronze. They were promised that the rest of the money would be paid in due course.

The then Union Sports Minister, Ms. Uma Bharti, had announced Rs. 20 lakh (gold), Rs. 15 lakh (silver) and Rs. 10 lakh (bronze) for the Commonwealth Games medal winners in 2002. The Government extended that formula for the Busan Asian Games medallists also. A commitment was made in Parliament that the medal winners would be paid as promised. The Finance Ministry has sanctioned that hike now.

The Sports Ministry had also proposed a regular increase in its entire incentive scheme awards and suggested retention of the 2002 pattern for the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games medal winners in future, apart from a whopping increase for the Olympics as mooted by Ms. Bharti in 2002.

It was suggested that for the Olympics it could be Rs. 1 crore for gold, Rs. 75 lakh for silver and Rs. 50 lakh for bronze, with the corresponding figures for World championships being Rs. 25 lakh, Rs. 20 lakh and Rs. 15 lakh.

That proposal was rejected both by the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) and the Finance Ministry. It was felt that a hundred per cent hike in the existing structure would be sufficient.

The increased cash awards will thus be: Olympics and World championships: Gold-Rs. 30 lakh, silver-Rs. 18 lakh, bronze-Rs. 12 lakh; Asian Games and Commonwealth Games: Gold-Rs. 10 lakh, silver-Rs. 6 lakh, bronze-Rs. 4 lakh; Asian championships and Commonwealth championships: Gold-Rs. 3 lakh, silver-Rs. 2 lakh, bronze-Rs. 1.5 lakh.

Unless there is a rethinking in the Finance Ministry, under persuasion of the Sports Ministry, the 2003 medal winners will have to be satisfied with cash rewards as per the old formula.

To cite one example out of the many notable performances by Indian sportspersons in 2003, it will mean Anju George will get just Rs. 6 lakh for her World championship bronze, the first ever by an Indian athlete. She will, in contrast, receive Rs. 20 lakh for her Asian Games gold and Rs. 10 lakh for her Commonwealth Games bronze!

``The Sports Ministry is yet to give a decent recognition for my World championship medal,'' said Anju, when contacted at Bangalore. ``We expected at least a congratulatory message from the Prime Minister,'' she added.

``No serious effort has been made by anyone in authority towards our Olympic preparations. Now, this news of a meagre incentive award...it is very disappointing'', said Anju's husband and coach Bobby George.

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