There was some respite for the Sports Hostel athletes with the Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports stepping in to address their concerns on the food arrangements.

The hostel boys had raised their voice on Tuesday about food and also the living arrangements. They had been given tokens to eat in the Konark restaurant at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium after the previous mess supplier’s contract ran out on May 31.

Devika ML, Assistant Director, DYES, who has been assigned with the task of overseeing the needs of the hostel, said she hoped to ring in changes as soon as possible.

“The issue of the food contractor has been discussed and we have shortlisted three people who we see as worthy to take up the job. There is no tender process for the same but we have certain guidelines to be followed and the issue will be sorted in another day or two,” she added.

The athletes who train rigorously twice a day have been given a limited menu for the last week, something that barely satisfies their nutrition needs. “We used to have 8-10 chappatis and rice when the food was being supplied in the canteen but now we are allotted just one chappati and a little rice. How are we expected to have enough energy to train then?” said an aspiring discus thrower.

“That being said, we did not go the DYES office to protest or strike yesterday (Tuesday), all we wanted to do was to make the director aware of our plight and speed up the process of getting another caterer.”

Food was not the only concern at the hostel with athletes being deprived of good drinking water for a couple of days.

“We have ensured there were arrangements made to have water decanters around the hostel now,” said a hostel employee on condition of anonymity.

Another issue that is yet to be resolved is how the logistics would work in terms of getting food to the 50-odd boys that are housed at the hockey stadium since the previous contractor used to personally hire a vehicle and have the food delivered there.