Minister fails to recognise Asiad gold medallist

Height of humiliation

After Union Sports Minister M S Gill’s failure to recognise famous wrestler Satpal, it was the turn of Uttar Pradesh Sports Minister Ayodhya Prasad Pal, to “humiliate” Asiad gold medallist Sudha Singh.

Gold medallist in the Asian Games women’s 3,000m steeplechase, Sudha Singh, who was invited as a chief guest at a sporting event in the state capital on Saturday, felt so humiliated that she vowed never to attend any such funtion.

“I was not even offered a chair when I arrived at the venue...I had to keep standing in a corner,” a miffed Sudha told reporters later. She was not allowed to meet the minister, who failed to recognise her. “I was not even allowed to go to the starting point,” Sudha, who was invited as a chief guest at the mini marathon for women, said.  Apparently disappointed at the treatment meted out to her, she left the function midway.

“I had an engagement at Mumbai but I chose to come here (Lucknow) to encourage sportspersons from my home state. I shall never come here again,” Sudha, a resident of Raebareli district in the state, said.