Ace athlete Anju Bobby George on Wednesday resigned as the president of the Kerala State Sports Council (KSSC), after her continuation in the post had become untenable following >the spat that she had with the Sports Minister E.P. Jayarajan on June 7.
Addressing a crowded press conference here, the lone athlete to win a medal for the country at the 2003 World Athletics Championships, after a meeting of the KSSC administrative board, hit out hard at the Government. “Sports can be killed but none can defeat sportspersons," said the veteran.
“I believe that certain vested interests have got together right from the day we decided to appoint an Ethics Commission and got approval for it from the previous Government. Our intention was simple, to fight corruption and nepotism and to ensure that sportspersons never were harassed by anyone," said Ms. George.
“My email was hacked soon after this, forcing me to lodge an official complaint. Next came charges that I favoured the appointment of my brother, Ajith Markose, as Assistant Secretary (Technical) as the KSSC president. But the truth of the matter is that his appointment was made by the Government. It is only circumstances that played a role in it as I was a few weeks earlier invited to become the KSSC president, a post which I took up after intimating my busy schedule and difficulties to take up residence in Thiruvananthapuram on a permanent basis.
“I am sure someone has misguided the Sports Minister on all this. In my short tenure of a little over six months, I have come across many scandals which have happened in the KSSC over the years. The Sports Lottery run by the previous LDF Government (2006-11), I believe, is the biggest scandal to have hit the Kerala sports scene in its entire history.
“Given the fact that it is difficult to continue, I and the rest of the nominated officials of the KSSC administrative board have today decided to tender our resignation. My brother will also be resigning from his post in the KSSC. However, we all will continue to work for the betterment of Kerala sport and hope that the public at large and the media will take up the responsibility to expose the corruption which has occurred in the KSSC over the last one decade, for which we demand that an inquiry should be launched by the Vigilance Department,” she said.
