The Kerala government that had come under criticism for not announcing any rewards for Indian hockey team goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, has announced a cash reward of Rs 2 crore and a job promotion for the Olympic medallist on Wednesday, August 11. The Kerala cabinet which met on August 11, Wednesday has also decided to promote Sreejesh as a Joint Director in the Department of General and Higher Education, he is currently a Deputy Director. The government also announced a Rs 5 lakh reward for the eight sportspersons from Kerala who made it to the Tokyo Olympics. Last week, the Indian men’s hockey team made history after defeating Germany in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics to bring a long-awaited bronze medal back to India.
The Congress came down heavily on the Kerala government for not announcing the reward sooner. Congress MLA from Tripunithura K Babu asked in the assembly if the Kerala government was waiting for Karkidaka month to get over. Karkidaka or Ramayana month is considered inauspicious by many. The Congress MLA pointed out that the Haryana government announced Rs 6 crore for Neeraj Chopra, while other states have awarded hockey players. "A prize of Rs 1 crore was given to Sreejesh by Dr Shamseer Vayalil, shame on the government," Babu said. Shamseer Vayalil is the chairman of VPS Healthcare, which is based in the UAE.
Goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, 33, who is from Kerala, was praised for his skill in the team’s matches, but the Kerala government’s delayed appreciation for those efforts has not gone unnoticed. While Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan did issue a statement in praise of Sreejesh, the government has till date not announced any reward for Sreejesh. Retired athlete Anju Bobby George told Mathrubhumi TV. “One should understand the value of an Olympic medal.” Anju, a World champion in the IAAF World Athletics Final, recounted that the Kerala government had been reluctant to give her a cash award when she had won medals previously, while the Tamil Nadu government had been much quicker in their reward.
Criticism against the government appeared to climb particularly after Neeraj Chopra, who brought home India’s only gold medal of the games in the men’s javelin throw, was awarded Rs 6 crore as a cash reward by the Haryana government. Other Olympians have also been feted by their states — Vivek Sagar and Nilkanta Sharma, who are also a part of the mens’ hockey team, were awarded Rs 1 crore by the Madhya Pradesh government and weight-lifted Saikhom Mirabai Chanu was awarded Rs 1 crore by the Manipur government, while also being appointed the Additional Superintendent of Police (Sports).