The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Helping needy sportspersons

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 18, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Helping needy sportspersons

Staff Reporter

Moved by the difficulties faced by Abdul Basith's family, Sumita Dawra has said that she will try her best to see that the surviving family members have no problems

HYDERABAD: Sumita Dawra, Vice Chairperson & Managing Director of the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP), has been transferred to the Commercial Taxes Department, but she has decided, nevertheless, to lend a helping hand to needy sportspersons before handing over charge. She has directed her staff to visit the house of Abdul Basith and enquire from the family members what exactly they require in their hour of crisis. Basith, Arjuna Awardee, was one of the best volleyball players India has produced.

Moved by the difficulties that Basith's family is facing, Ms. Dawra said that she will try her best to see that the surviving family members have no problems. "We know how difficult it was for them to have sacrificed so much. Now they are being forced to run for help just to make both ends meet," she remarked. "They have been asking for a house site. We will try to work out the best possible solution to see that something concrete emerges," she added.

Fine gestures

Even Hyderabad's first international hockey player and 70-year-old K.Satyanarayana, who played for India in a `Test' match more than four decades ago, has been assured a monthly pension of Rs. 6,000. The other beneficiary could be gymnast Parasuram who has been paralysed after a fall during a training session. "There have been requests from his family too. We will try to help him out for we know the risk he took during the preparatory camp for the 2002 National Games," Ms.Dawra said.

Explaining the reason for doling out cash incentives to Sania Mirza, she explained: "We spent Rs.2 crores in organising the WTA Hyderabad Open. She needed Rs.20 lakhs for training with a foreign coach. And when you consider that she is also an ambassador for AP Tourism and has agreed to promote Hyderabad as a tourist destination during the French Open and other events, one can see that what we are giving is not much. Whatever she earns should only help her in the ultimate cause - to win big events in the world circuit."

Help for shuttler

She explained that in the case of Pullela Gopichand it was not the ace shuttler who was given Rs.10 lakhs. The sum was given in the name of the Badminton Association of India towards the coaching component for the ABC training programme in Hyderabad. "Honestly, he didn't ask for money and neither was he interested in collecting the cheque.

Originally, we thought of setting up an academy costing Rs.35 lakhs. So when he started his own, we only tried to help him, for our objective was the same," she pointed out.

The next in the line is Pentyala Harikrishna, who on submitting the proposals listing out his requirements, should get about Rs.5 lakhs.

What more can the performing athletes and stars of yesteryears ask for? "Frankly, the Andhra Pradesh Government is the best in the country in terms of promoting sports and in giving cash incentives," Ms Dawra said, as she prepared to sign off after her 11-month stint in SAAP.

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