Deepa names different coaches for cash awards
With athletes exploiting policy, loopholes need to be plugged to avoid manipulation
Para-athlete Deepa Malik, it seems, is either unsure who her coach is or is trying to take advantage of the policy of cash awards.
It has come to light that the silver medallist from the 2016 Rio Paralympics has forwarded the names of two different coaches to the sports ministry and the Haryana government for cash awards.
The government has instituted cash awards to medal-winning athletes as well as their coaches to encourage them to strive further. But with huge loopholes in the system, athletes have been known to exploit it by recommending names of their kin to bag the award money.
It seems Deepa, who won silver in the F-53 shot put category in Rio, is also trying to take advantage of the same.
As per government policy, Deepa was awarded ~50 lakh. Her coach, according to the policy, gets half of the amount.
Initially, Deepa projected her husband — Col (retd) Vikram Singh Malik — as coach to the ministry. The case was rejected on the ground that her husband had gone to Rio Paralympics as an escort and not coach. Later, she forwarded the name of fitness trainer Vaibhav Sirohi.
Deepa played down the issue by saying that being a wheelchair-bound athlete, a lot of people helped her. “There should be a policy to give cash awards to supporting staff too,” she said, adding her husband also helped in training, which is why she named him.
On forwarding the name of Sirohi, she said, “He (Sirohi) was my trainer. Helped me gain strength and fitness. He deserves the award.” Eventually Sirohi was given the cash award of ~25 lakh.
In the build up to Rio, the wheelchair-bound athlete also got coaching tips from Naresh Choudhary. Even Choudhary claimed he should have got the cash award.
What is intriguing is the fact that Deepa, in 2014-15, gave an affidavit to another coach — Naval Singh — it primarily helped him earn the Dronacharya Award. Naval said that he had been guiding Deepa for long.
STATE AWARD
Also, in an affidavit to the Haryana sports department, Deepa stated that her coach was Girraj Singh, who was mainly responsible for guiding her to a podium finish at Rio Paralympics.
Girraj Singh is the secretary of the state body’s paralympic committee and an employee of the state education department. He got a cash award of ~10 lakh.
On forwarding the name of Girraj for the state award, Deepa said, “He (Girraj) was instrumental in mentoring me, so I named him for the state award.”
When HT contacted Girraj, his response was evasive. “If an athlete wants that I should get the cash award, there shouldn’t be any problem,” he said.
CONTROVERSIES
Who deserves the credentials? There are glaring instances where top athletes exploited the policy to recommend names of close associated and family members for cash award.
Besides Deepa, there was also controversy regarding Sakshi Malik’s coach.
The Rio bronze medallist had named Mandeep Singh, while chief national women’s coach Kuldeep Malik’s name also figured in the list. Malik said he received only ~7.5 lakh instead of ~12.5 lakh from the ministry.
Malik said he doesn’t want to get dragged into the controversy any more.
“It looks a bit silly to pursue the case as focus is to prepare the national team for the world championship in August. The camp has started and almost all the wrestlers have joined,” he said.