New Delhi, August 8 (Representative) Commonwealth Games medalist Divya Kakran, who won a bronze medal in the ongoing Commonwealth Games at Birmingham, has once again highlighted the lack of support for athletes from the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government.Reacting to Kejriwal’s congratulatory tweet on Sunday, Divya said the Delhi government has not fulfilled its promise to give prize money to her. “Heartfelt thanks to Hon’ble Chief Minister of Delhi for congratulating me on the medal. I have a request to you that I have been living in Delhi for the last 20 years and have been practicing my sport wrestling, but so far I have not been given any kind of reward money from the state government nor any help has been given to me,” she tweeted. In the next tweet, Divya said, “My only request to you is that I should be honoured in the same way as other players, who despite being from Delhi play for other states, are honoured.” Divya also had criticised the Delhi government’s lack of support for sportspersons in the past after she won a bronze medal in 2018 Commonwealth and a gold medal in the 2018 Asian Games making India proud.
At a felicitation ceremony in New Delhi on September 5, 2018, Divya told Kejriwal that she could have won gold at the Games if she had received adequate support from his government. “You’ve gathered us today to congratulate us but there’s no support provided when we need it most. If we’re given that support at the right time then we can even win gold,” Divya said.”I’d won a medal at the Commonwealth Games (in Gold Coast, Australia, earlier this year) and you had told me that I will receive more help going forward. I gave all the help I needed in writing but even my phone calls were not answered,” she added.Divya also elucidated to Kejriwal the difference between the sports culture of Delhi and Haryana. She said Delhi has got India very less number of medals compared to Haryana, and it is because of the lack of government support which the athletes in the neighbouring state get.
“A budget of Rs 3 crore is a huge amount, Sir. Delhi has sanctioned Rs 1 crore after this win. Earlier we had Rs 20 lakhs. Look at our hard work and hardships. Nothing happens in those 20 lakhs,” she complained. “So we lack state support. So please think and act in a way so that next time Delhi bags the maximum number of medals in the Asian Games and all of them are gold medals,” Divya said.She also alleged that her calls were not answered after Kejriwal promised to provide her more help in future.”I won a medal at the Commonwealth Games and you told me I will receive more help in future, but my calls were not answered later. Good you are congratulating and rewarding us today but no support was given when we needed most,” Divya told Delhi CM.