Reducing prize money a cruel joke with sportspersons: Malhotra

New Delhi, May 8: Describing as a ''cruel joke'' the Government decision to cut prize money in sports, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Senior Vice President V K Malhotra today said the move has left little incentive for the sportspersons to perform.

With the Doha Asian Games scheduled for December next, the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and the New Delhi Commonwealth Games due in 2010, sportspersons needed encouragement in the form of enhanced financial incentives -- not the otherway round, said the IOA Vice president during a media interaction here.

For the 2010 Commonwealth Games the estimated budget is Rs 20,000 crore -- Delhi Government is to spend Rs 6,000 and the Centre has pledged Rs 14,000 -- but the main actors for this mega event, the sportspersons, are being ignored, he alleged.

For the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games and Busan Asiad, the Gold medal winner was given Rs 20 lakh, the Silver medallist got Rs 15 lakh and the Bronze winner received Rs 10 lakh but now the government has reduced the money to Rs six lakh, four lakh and two lakh respectively.

''This is strange. The prize money should have been hiked but this government believes in working in reverse as far as the sportspersons are concerned,'' alleged Prof Malhotra.

He also said not only the prize money has been cut, the daily allowance for the player in Olympics and Commonwealth Games has also been reduced.

''It was 50-dollar per day during the Manchester and Busan Games but now it has been reduced to 20 dollar per day. If the main actors are not looked after and if they don't perform, then the whole purpose of hosting the Games or taking part in them is defeated,'' he said.

Prof Malhotra, who is also the president of the General Association of National Sports Federations (GANSF), lamented that there has been steep decline in the sports budget also.

''It was Rs 50 crores in 2003-4, Rs 48 crores in 2005-6 and Rs 43 crores in 2006-7. Is this the way to promote sports in the country?'' he asked.

there pay. Canb you attract any good coach from abroad at a salary of 1500 or 2000 dollars per month?'' Prof Malhotra suggested that the restriction on sportspersons that they can go abroad for foreign exposure only three times a year should be removed.

''There should be no restriction on sportspersons going for training abroad,'' he said.

He, however, made it clear that the Government should not fund foreign trips of the officials.

''The money allocated should be only for the players. Let the IOA and Federations take care of the officials,'' he said and advocated earmarking of 10 per cent of the total estimated expenditure for the Commonwealth Games for sportspersons' training, coaching and preparations.

''I urge the government to increase the budget allocation for sports federations. How can 69 sports disciplines -- including 30 Olympic disciplines -- can prepare their sportspersons with a total budget allocation of a measely Rs 43 crores?'' ''Time is running out, we need a focused and concentrated sports policy if we want to make any mark in the 2010 Delhi Comonwealth Games,'' he added.

UNI