The Hindu : Sport : Olympics: plan to hike athletes' allowance

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jul 23, 2004

Sport

Sport - Sports : General

Olympics: plan to hike athletes' allowance

NEW DELHI, JULY 22. The Sports Ministry has proposed to more than double the out-of-pocket allowance to athletes participating in next month's Athens Olympics.

``We have proposed to hike the allowance to $45-50 each per day,'' a senior Sports Ministry official said. ``We have already moved the file and it is now awaiting clearance from the Finance Ministry,'' the official said.

Last week the Sports Minister, Sunil Dutt, had promised Athens-bound athletes that he would actively consider hiking the allowance. ``It is very costly abroad and so we will actively consider hiking the allowance,'' he had said.

At present the allowance is $20 each per day. But during the Commonwealth Games in Manchester and the Busan Asian Games in 2002, the government had, as a special case, agreed to hike it to $35. Asked about India's decision on signing the WADA code, the official said, ``we will definitely sign it. The delay is due to a new government assuming office and later the parliament session.'' Clarifying that there was no objection from any quarter on the issue, the official said, ``there is absolutely no hitch. We will sign the code soon.'' Sources also said Mr. Dutt would travel to Athens to cheer the Indian contingent along with a few State sports ministers. — PTI

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