Bangalore:
India made history by winning 101 medals at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi and Karnataka athletes were responsible in adding as many as 10 medals to that grand total.
Over the past two weeks, as bodyline politics in Karnataka took centre stage, these athletes gave the people of Karnataka a reason to rejoice.
However, while neighbouring Maharashtra announced cash prizes -- Rs10 lakh, Rs7 lakh and Rs5 lakh for gold, silver and bronze respectively -- and plots for its medal-winning sportspersons, the Government of Karnataka failed to even send congratulatory message to the victorious athletes.
Former sports minister Goolhatti D Shekar had announced to give away Rs10 lakh, Rs5 lakh and Rs3 lakh for medallists at the CWG. However, since his ouster from the cabinet, there has been no news of cash incentives. D Sudhakar, who was made the sports minister after the reshuffle, joined the rebel gang leaving the state government without a sports minister for the time being. The officials at the department of youth services and sports (DYSS) too have not taken any initiative to contact the medal winners.
Several athletes who have won medals at the Games are from rural areas in Karnataka and sport is their only bread winner. "I come from an agricultural family. I faced many financial crises in pursuing my career," Ashwini Chidananda Akkunji, who blitzed an astonishing third leg of the gold medal-winning 4x400 on Tuesday, told DNA. "Though I have won many medals earlier, there had not been any recognition from the state government so far," said the runner from Jansale in Kundapura.
HM Jyothi, sprinter who won the bronze in 4x100m women's relay, also expressed her disappointment at the lukewarm attitude of the government. DNA tried to contact DYSS officials without any success.
Karnataka's show at CWG
Athletics (4x400 women's relay) Gold: Ashwini C Akkunji
Badminton (doubles) Gold: Ashwini Ponappa (in pic)
Athletics (Discus Throw) Silver: Vikas Gowda
Athletics (Javelin Throw): Kashinath Naik
Athletics (men's 4x100 relay) bronze: GB Nagaraj
Athletics (women's 4x100 relay) bronze: HM Jyothi
Hockey Silver: Bharath Chetri, Arjun Halappa
Weight Lifting Bronze: Sudheer Kumar
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