JOIN USA sizeable chunk of Indian athletes are yet to get their full quota of daily allowance a week into the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
Most of the 215 strong Indian contingent have spent more than 10 days without the full allowance which has been increased to $50. It was $25 earlier.
The squash squad including Saurav Ghosal and Dipika Pallikal have not been paid their dues at all while the TT players received half of the allowance on Monday night.
“We have not got anything so far but we are told we should be getting the money soon,” Ghosal said.
Soumyajit Ghosh, part of the men’s table tennis side, said he received his 10-day allowance of $25 a day and not the revised amount. “We have got it for 10 days on Monday. Don’t know much about the rest of the amount. Hopefully, we will get that later,” said Ghosh, the reigning national champion.
Sports Secretary Ajit Sharan explained the delay in the disbursement of daily allowance.
“The allowance was doubled from $25 to $50 on Friday after we got approval from the finance ministry. However, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has not yet opened the account there (in Glasgow) so all money could not be transferred,” Sharan said. “But there is nothing to worry. All the athletes will get their due allowance. The players are at the Games Village and every need of theirs will be taken care of.”