SAF medalist voice complain
Aug 16th, 2007 by Pratichya
KATHMANDU, Aug 15 - Gold medalists of the Fifth South Asian Federation (SAF) Games have complained against National Sports Council (NSC) for not providing them the promised incentives.
“NSC had announced a monthly allowance as a reward and given us official letters in support of that, but I haven’t received anything for the last six years,” Geeta Chhetri Shah, who won a gold medal in the Fifth SAF Games in Colombo, said.
The decision taken in October 1, 1995 three years after the games concluded, stated that players who won gold medals would be provided a monthly allowance equivalent to the pension of section officer throughout their life. The players drew the amount for four years, until it was stopped without notice.
“I received payment for four years and then NSC stopped depositing it in the bank,” Raju Shakya, captain of the gold winning football team said. “The money doesn’t amount to much but the prestige associated with is worth fighting for,” he added. When Shakya last drew the amount, it was Rs 1,535.
Interestingly, the decision was taken during the first tenure of current member-secretary Jeevan Ram Shrestha. He accepted that NSC had failed to continue the medal allowance due to lack of funds. “We accept the fact and it’s due to lack of fund,” Shrestha said.
Shrestha, however, claimed that he tried for the continuation of the allowance. “I had recommended the government for the reward fund but to no avail,” he said. “But we haven’t given up yet.”
Shah said NSC should either continue with the allowance or, if it lacks funds, should terminate the decision. “It’s better if they say no than to keep us in hope,” she said.
