Treat athletes better, keep them from leaving Kerala: Congress-led oppn demands Left govt

The demand was made by Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan in letters sent to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi and Sports Minister V Abdurahiman

Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress-led UDF opposition on Monday demanded that the Kerala government take urgent measures to prevent athletes from leaving the state by providing them with the jobs and rewards announced by the administration.

The demand was made by Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state assembly V D Satheesan in letters sent to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi and Sports Minister V Abdurahiman.

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Satheesan claimed, in his common letter, that sportspersons were reportedly leaving Kerala en masse fed up with the alleged neglect they face from the state government and the sports department.

He said that according to news reports, international Badminton player H S Prannoy and international triple jump stars Eldhose Paul and Abdullah Abubakar have announced that they are leaving Kerala.

“This will cripple the state’s sports sector,” he said.

Satheesan alleged that this was happening as sportspersons were not getting a good word or appreciation from the state government despite earning laurels for the nation.

“Many stars have not yet received the awards announced by the government. There are many sportspersons who have been knocking on the doors of government offices for more than five years for jobs,” he said in the letter.

The LoP said treating athletes in this manner is unacceptable and that the state government should seriously consider the issues raised by them.

“All possible steps should be taken by the government to avoid a situation where Malayali athletes, who are the pride of the nation, leave the state,” he said.