Coach issue: archer threatens to go on hunger strike

Archer and Arjuna awardee V. Jyothi Surekha and her father V. Surendra on Sunday came out in the open expressing concern over the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP)’s order of sharing the archer’s cash incentive announced by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu with Ch. Satyanarayana, chairman of the Volga Archery Academy. They threatened to go on an indefinite hunger strike at their house on Monday if the problem is not addressed.

Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, Ms. Surekha said she had received the Arjuna award in August 2017 and in the same month Mr. Chandrababu Naidu announced a cash prize of ₹1 crore, a house plot in the city and a government job.

“Now, a government order by SAAP sanctioned an amount of ₹76.53 lakh, after deducting ₹22 lakh citing a sanction done much before the Chief Minister’s announcement. Out of the ₹76. 53 lakh, ₹15 lakh has been allotted to Mr. Cherukuri Satyanaryana who was never my coach. My first trainer was J. Rama Rao and then Jeevan Jyoth Singh Teja was my coach after I moved to the Indian camp in 2013,” she said.

Ms. Surekha wondered how SAAP officials shared her cash incentive with a person who was ‘not her coach’.

Mr. Surendra questioned how could Mr. Satyanarayana, who opposed concession in college fee to his daughter, could be her coach. The G.O. No. 154 released on May 3 states that the government sanctioned ₹76,53,000 towards cash incentive of ₹61.53 lakh to Ms. Jyothi Surekha and ₹15 lakh to Surekha’s coach Ch. Satyanarayana.

CMO responds

Responding to the issue, an official of the CM’s office said that the problem would be discussed on Monday and resolved.