A group of Olympians has been knocking at the government’s door with a plea to increase the pension amount sanctioned to them under a scheme launched more than two decades ago.
The Olympians, preferring to remain unnamed, have sent a series of presentations to the Union Sports Ministry and highlighted the fact that the pension amount needs to be enhanced, keeping in mind the inflation.
The pension scheme was introduced in 1994. ₹2000 for Olympic gold medallists and ₹1500 for Asian Games were sanctioned. The pension scheme was reviewed in 1999 and ₹500 were added to the two categories.
Ten years after the scheme was launched, the sporting fraternity was delighted at the decision of the Sports Ministry to double the amount to ₹5000 for an Olympic gold medallist and ₹4000 for an Asiad winner.
Within four years of the increase, the then Sports Minister M.S. Gill once again brought good news for the sportsmen when he enhanced the pension amount to ₹10000 per month for the Olympic gold medal winner and ₹8000 for the Asian Games winner. The government also added the Commonwealth Games and World Cup winners to the pension scheme at the behest of Mr. Gill.
“It is nine years now and times for the pension scheme to be reviewed,” said a former Olympic gold medallist. “The pay commission has looked into the interests of government employees and freedom fighters but the sportspersons feel left out,” he added.
Harbinder Singh, member of the gold winning Indian team at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo, had made a fervent appeal in 2014 on behalf of the Olympians to then Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, during the National Sports Day celebration event at the National Stadium.
It is understood that there are 32 Olympians who fall in the category of gold medal winners and they have made a request to the Sports Minister Vijay Goel.
The sportsmen believe that a favourable response from the Sports Minister would help them tide over their financial issues.
“I understand the significance of their request. They are national heroes and I will do my best to consider their request,” Goel told The Hindu .
