Geet Sethi has the FM thinking ... or so we hope

The future of Indian sport is bright only if their Elite sports persons lead the way. But what happens is that when such people talk against the federation the federation hits back at them  when it comes to selection. Sometimes sports folk need to fire the gun from someone else’s shoulder.

But it is good to see at least one sportsperson being frank and openly being critical of the sports budget for 2008-09. Geet Sethi, for many, India’s all-time great sportsperson, has given his reaction to the budget in an article in Mid-day

He makes the following points

1. Sport folk who fall under the Olympic platform will look at the Rs.781.83-crore sports budget and bear the sad news with indignation, frustration and anger.

2. The allocation of Rs.781.83 Crore for sport, clearly reflects the lack of priority in our collective political mindset. It is easy to discard and marginalize sport with arguments over the need to eradicate poverty and provide water, electricity to our villages.

3. The money filtering down to the athletes will not be more than Rs.50 Crore.

4. When we come back from the Beijing Olympics in August, yet again empty handed or at best with a solitary medal, I will write another piece reminding you to give sport and sportspersons more dignity, power, priority and of course MONEY.

Sethi asks the following questions:

If the sports budget is meant for us sportspersons, why should our track  and  field athletes train in perhaps the most pitiable conditions, staying in cockroach-infested dormitories.?

Why reimbursement bills of   medal-winning are not cleared with the same speed and intent as those of ministers when they  get back from business trips?

And don’t think Sethi is just talking big. He has put action where his mouth is.

Sethi and badminton great Prakash Padukone, through Gold Quest, a sports fund promoted by them will help Olympic shooting gold hope Gagan Narang to  fund his requirements till 2012.

Gagan Narang has applied  for a grant of Rs.40 Lakh which is his requirement till the Beijing Olympics for ammunition, equipment, travel and for professional coaching.  Gold Quest has agreed to bridge the gap between Rs.40 Lakh and what gets sanctioned by the government.

Gagan said: "I am relieved and highly motivated with this generous and timely financial and moral support and hope that I can achieve at least one Olympic gold out of the events that I have qualified for at the Beijing Olympics. I have just received the first installment of Rs.5 Lakh which will be put to use immediately."

The fund, whose other founding promoters are DSP Merryl Lynch vice-chairman Shitin Desai and co-founder of Sify Ltd R. Ramaraj, has Rakesh Khanna as its executive head. Khanna said: "We at Gold Quest are committed to providing financial support to athletes with a potential of winning India an Olympic gold. Gagan Narang has the talent, potential and deep resolve to reach the pinnacle of his sport and we are glad to be able to assist him."

So if the saying gold helps those who help themselves, Sethi and his tribe of sports folk won’t miss out on divine help even if they miss out on the help of our great government of India and its 'kanjoos' finance minister.

Pradeep Vijayakar