Without remunerations for 4 mths, ad hoc coaches stage protest
LUCKNOW Over two dozed ad hoc coaches, including a few from other districts, held a protest against non-payment of monthly remuneration to them for the last four months here on Wednesday.
As part of the symbolic protest outside the Uttar Pradesh Sports Directorate here, these coaches were seen doing boot polish, selling tea, vegetables and snacks.
Led by former international soft tennis player, Sanish Mani Tripathi, the ad hoc coaches, were later disbursed from the spot by the police, which threatened them to book under section 144.
“For the last four months, we haven’t been paid a single rupee even though we were hired for a term of two years last season,” said Tripathi, while showing his Laxman award. “I am here to sell the idol of Lord Laxman today as I don’t have even a single rupee in my pocket to survive. I was given this award for the excellence in sport by the state government and now I am selling it with the hope of getting some money in return.”
Over 400 ad hoc coaches across the state who have been taking care of the coaching/training of talents for the last many years haven’t been paid even a single rupee for since April when all the sports activities came to stand still due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We are bound to become ‘patri dukandars’ as we have no other option to survive. Around 17 coaches in Kanpur have been getting Rs 5000 as monthly remuneration through the zila khelkood protsahan samiti even in this crisis situation and this system should be applied in all the districts at least to give some relief to ad hoc coaches,” he said. He, however, said that during the last four months, the ad hoc coaches have knocked almost all the doors, including the one of sports minister, Upendra Tewari, but nothing positive has been done so far.
Meanwhile, director sports, RP Singh on Wednesday said he had sent a proposal for the payment of remuneration to the ad hoc coaches to the state government. “Now, it’s up to the government to decide,” he said.