Indian para-athlete Kanchanmala Pande forced to beg in Berlin after failing to receive money sanctioned by government: Report

Kanchamala, who became the only female swimmer from India to qualify for the World Para Swimming Championships this year, had a horrific time in Berlin after running out of money.

Image Courtesy: PTI/Twitter

New Delhi: In a shocking incident, Indian para-athlete Kanchanmala Pande was forced to beg in Berlin after running out of money as the cash sanctioned by the government did not reach her.

According to a report in India Today, as a result of carelessness from the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), Kanchanmala, who is completely sightless and swims in the S11 category, had a horrific time after as she faced severe misery.

The report added that Kanchanmala, along with five others participating in the Para Swimming Championships in the German capital from July 3-9, had a forgettable time as the government money sanctioned for their tour did not reach them.

Ace Indian shooter Abhinav Bindra slammed the incident on Twitter and also sought the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sports Minister Vijay Goel by tagging them in his post.

Abhinav Bindra: This is UNACCEPTABLE. People must be held accountable. @VijayGoelBJP @narendramodi

This is UNACCEPTABLE. People must be held accountable. @VijayGoelBJP @narendramodi https://t.co/dBIrey8TYR

— Abhinav Bindra (@Abhinav_Bindra) July 12, 2017

Goel was quick to reply back as he said, "I've instructed my Ministry to verify the facts of this epsiode and then comment on the matter."

I've instructed my Ministry to verify the facts of this epsiode and then comment on the matter. https://t.co/1jPUIEUuHw

— Vijay Goel (@VijayGoelBJP) July 12, 2017

Kanchamala, who became the only female swimmer from India to qualify for the World Para Swimming Championships this year, shared her ordeal with Mail Today.

'I never thought I would face such problems. I had to take a loan of Rs 5 lakh so that I could participate in the tournament.

'I had to qualify for the World Championships and I don't know why PCI didn't understand its importance,' Kanchamala, who is also an assistant with the Reserve Bank of India in Nagpur, told Mail Today.

'I was not given any official confirmation if I will receive a reimbursement for the expense I bore. I had to pay around Rs 70,000 (£844) for the hotel and more than Rs 40,000 (£482) for food.