Chandigarh, December 10
Last year, around these chilly winter days, four men shattered a few bones, broke unimaginable sweat, ripped through punches and did what the nation of a billion had failed to accomplish till then, and has not been able to emulate since.

Four medals at the Boxing World Cup in Moscow last year are India’s best haul in an international event and it was also India’s first medal-winning performance in the World Cup in 14 years. So how does the country plan to ‘celebrate’ this standout event in Indian boxing’s history?

Such is the ignominy sportsmen have to face in a nation obsessed with results and rewards. The four medal winners — Akhil Kumar, Jitender Kumar, Anthresh Lakhra and Dinesh Kumar — have not received even a single rupee of the assured prize money from the government till date. The government pays Rs 5 lakh (as of December, 2008) for a bronze medal at any international event, but the Indian Boxing Federation is equally clueless about the payment.

Col PK Muralidharan Raja, secretary general of the IBF, while speaking to The Tribune said, “Yes, it has been a year since four boxers won the medals, and generally the government conducts a ceremony where the Sports Minister hands over the prize money to players. But in this case, although we have had written communication with it, there has been no response yet. But it is not only the boxers who have not received their due prize money, this year the government has failed to hold the ceremony altogether.”

Even one of the medal-winning boxers, Anthresh Lakhra, says, “It is surprising that we have not received the money as yet. A couple of months back, we did get the prize money from the federation, but the Central government prize money has not been distributed.”

In Lakhra’s case, this is not the first time that prize money has not been paid. A source close to the boxer told The Tribune that during the last Commonwealth Championship, he received only half the prize money, and despite putting his grievance in writing, there had been no reply. Even before that during a national championship, prize money meant for senior boxers, was given to sub-junior category pugilists.

It’s not money that drives a sportsmen, it is the hunger to succeed, to excel in his/her field. But no amount of success can substitute the feeling of securing the financial future for your family. Like every ordinary man who puts his family and kids first, these men of extraordinary resolve too need to do the same. While we expect the medals, lets not forget to give them their due.