Hindustan Times ST (Jaipur)

Archers made to clean toilets at UP govt hostel

- Agence FrancePres­se sportsdesk@hindustant­imes.com Sharad Deep sharad.deep@htlive.com

Former Paris Saint-Germain coach Unai Emery looks set to become Arsene Wenger’s successor after 22 years as Arsenal manager, the BBC reported.

Emery, 46, won Ligue 1 and four domestic cups in two seasons in the French capital before departing earlier this month.

However, the Spaniard paid for his failure to get PSG beyond the last 16 of the Champions League in his two seasons at the Parc des Princes.

“Emery emerged as the unanimous choice following a recruitmen­t process in which all candidates were spoken to,” said the BBC.

PSG had previously reached four consecutiv­e Champions League quarter-finals following the Qatari takeover of the club in 2011, but Emery oversaw a humiliatin­g defeat to Barcelona in the last 16 a year ago, losing 6-1 at the Camp Nou after a 4-0 win in the first leg.

The club then committed to spending 400 million euros ($483 million) on Neymar and Kylian Mbappe alone -- the two most expensive transfer deals in history -- last year, but Paris were eliminated in the last 16 again this year, going out to Real Madrid.

“We lost against Real but they are showing that they are maybe still the strongest team in Europe,” said Emery when announcing his departure.

Emery previously enjoyed great success on the European stage at Sevilla, where he won three Europa League titles in three full seasons at the Sanchez Pizjuan.

Arsenal have been looking for a new boss for the first time in over two decades since Wenger announced last month he was stepping down at the end of the season.

A sixth-placed finish in the Premier League, the Frenchman’s worst-ever return, means the Gunners have failed to qualify for the Champions League for a second straight season.

Former Arsenal midfielder Mikel Arteta, who has formed part of Pep Guardiola’s coaching staff at Premier League champions Manchester City for the past two seasons, appeared to be the front-runner for the job in the past week.

Arteta, who played 150 games

More than 26 archers of national and internatio­nal repute at the Uttar Pradesh government-run hostel at Sonbhadra in the Mirzapur district are “being forced to clean toilets, drink dirty water, mow the lawn and eat substandar­d food”.

The archers went on a threeday hunger strike and lodged a written complaint with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Union Sports Minister, Rajyavardh­an Singh Rathore demanding action against the ‘wrongdoers’.

Normalcy returned to the hostel after senior district administra­tion officials, including the commission­er, intervened on Monday, but soon after a posse of policemen reportedly raided the campus.

“The officials are forcing us to withdraw the complaint. On Monday, a good number of cops raided our hostel and warned us to withdraw the complaint,” said an archer on condition of anonymity.

The complaint letter, a copy of which is with the Hindustan Times, has been signed by 21 archers including six girls and blames sports officer Anil Tewari for their ‘woes’. The letter says that besides substandar­d

Former Paris SaintGerma­in coach was selected after a recruitmen­t process by the club LONDON: LUCKNOW:

food and poor-quality water, there is no refrigerat­or, room coolers, and no security in the girls’ hostel.

“We are forced to clean toilets and cut grass. When we brought this to the notice of Mr Tewari, we are threatened and even abused,” said another archer.

They also claimed that six archers left the hostel this year while two others were asked to leave after they protested. “We are also not being given equipment like target face and target stands,” he said.

As per the state government policy, ~250 is to be spent on daily diet, but at the Sonbhadra hostel, the players are getting ~145 per day. “Non-vegetarian food, milk, butter and fruits are not being given to us,” said another archer.

Tewari said he had submitted his reply to ‘higher authoritie­s’.

Director sports, RP Singh said an enquiry was being conducted. “Action will be taken against the guilty, if any,” he said.

SYDNEY:

 ?? AFP ?? Unai Emery exited PSG this season after failing to get the team beyond last 16 of Champions League.
AFP Unai Emery exited PSG this season after failing to get the team beyond last 16 of Champions League.
 ?? HT PHOTO ?? Archers clean toilets at Sonbhadra hostel in Mirzapur.
HT PHOTO Archers clean toilets at Sonbhadra hostel in Mirzapur.

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