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Patna,(BiharTimes): The game of kabaddi is really gasping for breath in Bihar, thanks to the serious allegations levelled by players as well as the coach on the Association Secretary, Vijay Kumar.
Smita Kumari, who won Gold Medals in the 10th South Asian Games and 16th Asian Games in Sri Lanka and China respectively now plans to follow Prashna Prashant and Vivek Kumar, who have already bid good bye to the game recently. |
Even the coach Mukesh Kumar, who led the team in many tournaments, has similar complaints against the Secretary of Bihar Kabaddi Association, Vijay Kumar.
Smita, who comes from Maranchi village near Mokama block in Patna district, has been playing since 1998. She received cash prizes from the President, Railway Minister Lalu Yadav and also Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar.
But now she openly accuses the Association Secretary of demanding commission from the cash prize. The amount sought by him is too high––once Rs 10 lakh.
If Smita is to be believed he told her to pay the money or forget kabaddi. And when she confronted him she was insulted, demoralized and subsequently dropped.
The situation reached to such a pass that the female team led by Smita was not allowed to participate in the state-level tournament held in Begusarai in May last.
Vivek Kumar has a similar story to tell. He charged the Association's Secretary with demanding Rs 1.5 lakh for a job in Railways in 2003. But another boy who had paid Rs 1.75 lakh had been offered the job.
Prashna Prashant allegation is also serious. Even after winning the state-level game at Begusarai in 2008, he was removed from the team that was to go to Delhi to participate in Super League Game.
Coach Mukesh Kumar, who has also trained the state team and led it in the National Games in Ranchi recently, said the Secretary has not been inviting him for any of the sports-related activities since May.
Both Smita and Mukesh were quoted in the Times of India as alleging that the Secretary's daughter, who is also wife of a kabaddi player, Rajiv Kumar Singh, were illegally given medals in National Games in Ranchi even though she was in family way and did not take part in it.
Though Smita had raised her voice against the Secretary a couple of months back too, yet the latter while talking to the daily asked as to why is she coming out with allegation now when money was given to her in February. He said that she was saying so simply because she was removed from captaincy for Veer Kuer Singh Tournament held in Patna in April. He rubbished all the charges against him.
However, the kabaddi players have a regret. No effort is being made from any quarter to save the game in Bihar, though when Smita returned with gold a minister came to receive her at the airport in Patna.
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