UP govt apologises to Sudha Singh

Expressing regret over last week’s incident, sports director Hari Om called on Sudha Singh, who is presently in her home district Rae Bareli and assured her that in future the government would ensure that all international and national athletes are given due respect.

“Though the said function in Lucknow was not organised by the department, I called on Sudha Singh today to express regret and also offered my apologies for the same,” Hari Om said.

On Sudha threatening to snap ties with the state, Hari Om said that she had told him Sunday’s statement, as reported in a section of media, was made in a fit of rage.

Sudha, when contacted, said that sports minister Ayodhya Prasad Pal called her and said that he was not aware of her presence in the event.

“While expressing regret over the incident, the minister said that had he known of my presence he would have come to meet me,” she said, adding that she was however firm on her resolve that she would not take part in any function where she is not accorded due respect.