Will think twice before representing India at Olympics, we were treated as servants: SSP Chawrasia

New Delhi: Indian golfer SSP Chawrasia has slammed the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) for its alleged failure to reimburse promised preparatory money for the 2016 Rio Olympics, and said that he think twice before going to next Games.

Chawrasia, 38, and Anirban Lahiri represented India at the Rio Games, where they finished T50 and 57 respectively. In the run up to the Games, Chawrasia was promised Rs 30 lakh as preparatory money, but he has managed to get only Rs. 5.5 lakh so far.

“I have the letter where they promised to reimburse up to Rs 30 lakh. But post-Rio we’re told that the amount is reduced to Rs 15 lakh,” he said.

Talking about overall experience at Rio, he said that Indian officials behaved like owners, while athletes were treated as servants.

“There were no proper arrangement right from vehicle arrangement. It was freezing cold and kept raining and they did not even arrange an umbrella or raincoat for us. They would behave as if they were ‘maalik’ (owners) and we were their ‘naukars’ (servants),” he said.

He also revealed that athletes were asked to wait at the airport for hours, and Lahiri came on his own.

“We were asked to wait at the airport for four hours for a vehicle and Lahiri came on his own. We were feeling so bad. Now we will think twice before representing India at Olympics. We don’t like to keep on harping on this subject as we want to concentrate on the tougher assignments ahead,” he added.

(With Agency inputs)