Govt Didn't Help When I Needed It: Wrestler Divya Kakran

Young wrestler Divya Kakran, who won a bronze in the recently concluded 18th Asian Games in Jakarta, lashed out at the Delhi government and CM Arvind Kejriwal for turning a blind eye before the games. She was not supported by the government and said that they did not extend any help to her, Hindustan Times reported.

“Nobody helps us when we need it and had I got assistance, I could have even won a gold medal,” she said at a felicitation event held by the Delhi government

Kakran minced no words when she boldly told Kejriwal at the Delhi Secretariat that the city government had offered her no help before the games begun. Only now, after she won the medal, did offers of assistance come her way. No help came “at the time of need”, she rued. A confident Kakran even argued that had she received more support from the government, she could have brought a gold medal home.

“I won the medal in Commonwealth Games and you called me and assured me help...when I asked help to prepare for the Asian Games, it (the help) did not come. I gave in writing, but no one even answered my call,” Kakran said.

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She even made an appeal to the chief minister to help poor children. “Although I am poor, I have the fire to do something in wrestling. If you will support, it will be very good,” the Asiad bronze-medallist said. She added, "You're felicitating us today but please also think of poor kids aspiring to become athletes. You've gathered us today to congratulate us but there's no support provided when we need it most. If we're given that support at the right time, then we can even win gold," she added.

In response, Kejriwal said, "You'll must have read in newspapers how there are obstacles being put in front of the work we try to do. What you're saying is right. Not just you, many athletes come to us with similar complaints. Whichever policies we have drafted until now have been shunted for some reason or the other at the higher level. The felicitation we're doing today is only because of the Supreme Court's recent judgment."

Feature Image Credit: YouTube

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