South Asian Games incentive eludes State’s sports stars

A few shuttlers from the city, bound for the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast next week, might leave with a tinge of disappointment as they are yet to be paid the incentives due to them since March 2017 for their medal-winning performances in the 2016 South Asian Games.

“I humbly submit that the Government of Telangana issued GO Ms No. 1 and GO Ms No. 6 (dated Jan 4, 2016 and September 9, 2017 respectively) already issued medals amount, subsequently the VC and MD of SATS also issued the proceedings (dated December 30) in respect of the South Asian Games held in Shillong in February 2016,” doubles specialist B. Sumeeth Reddy wrote in his appeal to Sports Minister T. Padma Rao Goud.

“In this connection, I request the Honourable Minister to kindly issue instructions to the authorities concerned to release the amount for the above said proceedings issued,” he appealed.

“With the financial year closing soon, unless the said amounts are released immediately, the whole process might well have to begin all over again,” one of the shuttlers says.

The list of beneficiaries, who are yet to get the incentives, also include kho kho and kabaddi players.

On his part, A. Dinakar Babu, VC and MD of SATS, informed The Hindu that once the funds are released, the payments will be made without fail.

“If we were also given a copy of the letter submitted to the Sports Minister, we would also have followed it up,” he said.