Abhinav Bindra writes to Sports Minister, gives suggestion to create helpline for all athletes

PTI

New Delhi: Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra, on Friday, took to social media to write a letter giving suggestions to the Indian sports minister Vijay Goel on creating a helpline for the well-being of all athletes, especially those on a foreign tournament.

The letter, posted by him on his official Twitter page, came two days after his another Twitter post where he had highlighted the "Unacceptable" treatment by the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), towards para-swimmer Kanchanmala Pande. The visually-challenged athlete, who was left stranded at Berlin where was competing in the Para Swimming Championships, was forced to borrow money from her fellow swimmers when the money sanctioned on her behalf failed to reach her.

This is UNACCEPTABLE. People must be held accountable. @VijayGoelBJP @narendramodi https://t.co/dBIrey8TYR — Abhinav Bindra (@Abhinav_Bindra) July 12, 2017

In the letter dated July 14, Bindra wrote to Goel, "The recent incident of our Paralympic athlete in Berlin raises a larger question of athlete management. Things like these continue to happen in Indian sport and leaves everybody in a bad taste and overshadows a lot of good work that is done. In this regard I have a suggestion."

"The creation of a helpline for all athletes especially when in a foreign country to solve matters of extreme concern and having a contingency fund for unforeseen situations to provide just in time support to athletes would be a fantastic initiative to be taken up by the Sports Ministry, he added."

A suggestion submitted to the honourable minister @VijayGoelBJP pic.twitter.com/GJ4wbcqrkV — Abhinav Bindra (@Abhinav_Bindra) July 15, 2017

Sports minister Vijay Goel had immediately asked PCI to submit a report on the same within ten days. In statement released on Thursday, Vijay said, "The Ministry through SAI released Rs 3.21 Lakhs as 75 percent of dues as advance payment to Para Olympic Committee of India (PCI) in time and arranged tickets etc. This amount was transferred in the account of PCI on 22nd June, 2017. Since the amount was transferred to the account of PCI, the players should not have been put to any hardship."

However, PCI said that the unfortunate incident turned up owing to the absence of a court-appointed chairman.