Despite promise by Sports Ministry, job eludes Girisha

The London Paralympics silver medallist blams the Sports Ministry for discriminating against the paralympians

Silver medalist India's Girisha Hosanagara Nagarajegowda reacts after clearing the bar in the men's high jump F42 classification final during the athletics competition at the 2012 Paralympics, in London. File photo

London Paralympics silver medallist H N Girisha on Wednesday accused the Sport Ministry for not keeping its promise of giving him a “Class-1 Executive Officer” job with the Sports Authority of India (SAI) after his achievement at the Paralympic Games in the UK last year.

“Before the Olympics, the Sports Ministry announced that whoever will win a medal in London, would be given a Class-1 Executive Officer job in SAI. But I still haven’t got a job,” Girisha said.

After returning from London, the 25-year-old high-jumper applied to for a job with SAI, which is a normal process, and was promised to be given one within a six-month time.

But since then a year has passed and he is yet to get any response from either SAI or the Sports Ministry.

Girisha also claimed that during the Padma Shri award ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in January this year, he had met with the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who promised to look into the matter.

“When I met the Prime Minister, he congratulated me. I gave him a letter and he said that he would forward it to the Sports Ministry,” Girisha said.

He blamed the Sports Ministry for discriminating against the paralympians.

“Every Olympian, who is interested in SAI, has already got a job. But in spite of being a silver medal winner, I was denied any job,” he said.

He, however, said that the Indian Government has handed him the cash amount of Rs. 30 lakhs, as promised, for winning the silver medal in London.