At a felicitation ceremony in Lucknow on Tuesday, nine-time national steeplechase champion Sudha Singh refused to accept a cash prize from Uttar Pradesh's chief minister Yogi Adityanath, saying she wanted to be given a job instead in the state’s sports directorate.
Singh won a gold medal at the 2010 Asian Games and a silver this year at the Jakarta Asiad. However, she said she was protesting the government’s refusal to offer her the post of a deputy director that she should have been given, after the podium finish eight years back. The 32-year-old athlete from Raebareli currently works as an assistant commercial manager with Central Railway in Mumbai.
“I need a job, not money. Let this money be distributed among young sportspersons of the state. Give me a job instead,” Sudha told reporters at the venue.
After Sudha’s refusal to accept the scroll and cheque given by the CM, the event was halted for five minutes as she got off the stage and left the venue. However, officials are believed to have spoken to her later and assured her of a job.
The four-time Asian Championship and two-time Asian Games medallist said her achievements justify her demand for a position in the UP sports directorate, “I challenge everyone in the sports directorate to compare their achievements with mine. I am an Arjuna awardee and have six international medals, including gold at the 2017 Asian Championships at Bhubaneswar. If they prove me wrong, I would not request them for a job.”
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)