Bhopal, October 06: Former Olympian PT Usha has broked down after not being offered decent accommodation and was humiliated at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre here.
The former sprint queen came here with three students from her academy to participate in the National Athletics meet to be held from tomorrow.
The queen of Indian track and field reached at the airport here in the morning but not a single official was at airport to receive Usha. With no arrangements for her, she ran from pillar to post for accommodation.
The doyen of Indian athletics and a governing body member of SAI, Usha failed to bear the humiliation and wept in front of gathered media. Usha broke down in tears while narrating the horrendous tale of shabby arrangements provided to her and the young team during the event. ”After all these years of playing at the national and world level a athlete wants some amount of respect from the officials,” she said.
Later, Usha was accomodated in a hotel of Indian coffee House situated at New market here.
However, Madhya Pradesh Athletics Association secretary Mumtaj Khan denied that Usha was humiliated.
”There is not any question of humiliation of a athlete of Usha’s calibre,” Khan told UNI.
Khan also asserted that he will meet Usha and lookafter the matter personally.
—Agencies