01-Sep-2009 99
The Sports Ministry today approved a Rs 110 crore grant for Kerala which will host the 35th National Games next year and approved Rs 1.5 lakh each for the widows of the Indian soccer heroes, who had reached semifinal of the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
Of the nine members of the 1956 team who have passed away, the Ministry could trace the widows of T A Rahman, Peter Thangaraj, K S Kittu and M K Kempiah. They will receive assistance of Rs 1.50 lakh each from National Welfare Fund for Sportspersons.
The fund provides for giving assistance to sportspersons of yesteryears and their families, who brought glory for the country but are now living in distress. Nine surviving members of the team — Samar Banerjee, S S Narayan, A S Salam, A Hussain, N K Nandi, P K Banerjee, M Z Zulfikar, Tulsidas Balaram and Keshto Pal have already been given assistance of Rs 1.5 lakh each in February.
Also announcing the grant for next year’s National Games in Kerala, the Ministry said the money would be utilised to upgrade existing sports infrastructure, lay and develop playing surfaces and procure sports equipments besides conducting the opening and closing ceremonies.
Scheduled in May, next year’s National Games would be the last major domestic event before the 2010 Commonwealth Games and would double up as selection trial for the 71-nation event. In May This year, a Central team visited Kerala to evaluate the proposal and the State government subsequently submitted a revised proposal of Rs 220 crore.
Sports Minister M S Gill subsequently took up the matter with Prime Minister and Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission for giving a grant of Rs 110 crore to Kerala.
