Kolkata, August 05: Feeling “shocked and humiliated” toget an unasked for grant instead of a pension, Indian footballgreats who participated in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics todaysaid they refused to accept the Rs 25,000 grant sent to themby the All India Football Federation (AIFF).
Of the footballers who had taken part in the MelbourneOlympics, nine are still living and all of them have decidedto return the cheques that the AIFF had sent, captain of thatteam Samar (Badru) Banerjee and his team mates TulsidasBalaram and Nikhil Nundy told mediapersons.
The other six footballers are P K Banerjee and K Paul(both from Kolkata), S S Narayan (Mumbai), Julfiquer and AbdusSalam (both Hyderabad) and Ahmed Hussain (Bangalore ).
India reached the semi-final in 1956, the highestposition ever reached by the country’s soccer team so far inOlympics.
Samar Banerjee said that during a felicitation by UnionSports Minister M S Gill earlier this year they were informedby AIFF secretary Alberto Colaco that AIFF had a benevolentfund which could be utilised for the benefit of veteranOlympians.
Banerjee said, “I suggested to him for providing pensionto soccer veterans who have played for the country as is doneby the Cricket Control Board. But on July 28, each of usreceived a cheque of Rs 25,000 from AIFF as a grant.
—Agencies