Panjab University sportspersons’ wait for cash awards ends

Deepankar Sharda

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 12

After a year’s wait, Panjab University (PU) sportspersons finally got cash awards.

Several meritorious sportspersons, who were scheduled to get cash awards in March 2020 (2019 session) for bringing laurels to the university in various international, national and state tournaments held in the previous session, are now a relieved lot.

The Directorate of Sports, PU, organises its annual prize distribution function in the last week of March every year. However, due to the countrywide lockdown, the authorities did not organise the event.

The delay in releasing awards was extended further for one reason or the other. Now, the department has finally released the amount.

“Cash awards amounting to over Rs1.5 crore have been given to the beneficiaries. The rest of amount will also be dispersed in a day or so. The delay was for technical reasons, but the department is committed for the welfare of the players,” said Prof Prashant Kumar Gautam, University Institute of Hotel and Tourism Management, who has been given the additional charge of the Director Sports (PU).

Last session, the department had distributed the cash prize of approximately Rs2 crore. This session, in addition to the international, national and state achievers, those who performed in the 1st Khelo India University (Odisha) Games were also honoured.

In February this year, hundreds of sportspersons had sent a legal notice for not getting cash awards for year 2019. The issue soon picked up the heat as the PU had won the last two editions of the prestigious Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy.

Reimbursements soon

PU players, who participated in the 30th Summer Universiade (University) Games in Napoli (Italy) from July 3 to 14 in 2019, will also now soon get the entitled reimbursements. Players claimed that their expenses included money spent on air travel tickets (to and fro), kits, blazers, cancellation of tickets and others. The total reimbursement amount came down to approximately Rs2 lakh per player, which was to be reimbursed after the production of bills. As many as 16 players from the PU and its affiliated colleges were selected to participate in the championship. “The reimbursement process has also been started and the players will soon get their entitled amount,” said Gautam. The players had claimed that they have approached the officials many a time, but to no avail.