Keshavan pulls out due to fund-crunch

The lack of funds has forced Shiva Keshavan to pull out from the Luge World Championships and the remaining five Luge World Cup circuit events.

“The Indian team has pulled out of the remainder of the international circuit because it has not been funded,” said a release from Keshavan on Thursday. The Indian team comprised of Keshavan and his American coach Duncan Kennedy.

Keshavan recently won a silver medal at the Asian Championships in Japan and the the 34-­year-old Luge pilot was looking forward to the World Championships next week in Germany.
Keshavan was in Delhi to submit his funding application to the upcoming races but with no favourable response from the Sports Ministry, he has decided to cut his season short while his coach, Kennedy, has decided to quit.

Keshavan, in a letter to Sport Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, has complained that his coach has resigned as only a third of the promised salary by the Ministry had been paid to him so far.