Tirkey raises sports quota issue

New Delhi, Dec 23: Former Indian hockey captain and Rajya Sabha member Dilip Tirkey on Wednesday raised the issue of sports quota recruitments in government departments and Centre PSU’s during the proceedings of the upper house of parliament. Raising his voice for rural and tribal players in the Rajya Sabha, Tirkey said: “Players from rural and urban areas do not participate in sports only for entertainment or fun's sake. Infact they play sports to make their careers and earn their livelihood.” Giving examples of some rural and tribal players who have represented the country at the intertiol level but are now in a woeful state due to unemployment, he mentioned how intertiol athletes are forced to sell tea and scks and run pan-shops. “It is highly saddening what do we want to give to our coming generations by showing this apathy towards our intertiol players. This is happening because our government departments and PSUs are not filling jobs under sports quota," the Biju Jata Dal (BJD) member said. IANS