GAIL offers Rs one lakh as relief to Santhi

Kochi: Moved by the plight of 2006 Doha Asian Games silver medalist Santhi Soundararajan, who is working at a brick kiln in Tamil Nadu for a living, public sector GAIL (India) Limited has offered Rs one lakh as an immediate relief to the former athlete.

Shanti, who won the silver medal in the 800m in 2006 Doha Asian Games, was stripped of her medal after she failed a gender test. GAIL took this step following media reports about the former athlete`s plight, a release stated here. An officer of GAIL met Shanti and conveyed the decision of the company regarding the relief. "GAIL has granted this relief on purely humanitarian considerations and its decision has no reflection on the issues of the case," the release said. The once feted athlete had claimed that the Athletics Federation of India had banned her from participating in any event after the test and that officials had just "abandoned her." PTI