VIJAYAWADA: City girl and international archer V Jyothi Surekha on Sunday hit out at the officials of the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) for reducing the cash incentive announced to her by the State government. In August 2017, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had announced a cash incentive of `1 crore, 500 sq.ft land in Vijayawada and Group-I posting to the international archer after she received the prestigious Arjuna Award from President Ram Nath Kovind.
A few days ago, the State government issued a Government Order stating that it will give only `61.53 lakh out of the `1 crore promised to Surekha and `15 lakh will be given to Cherukuri Satyanarayana for “coaching” the archer. However, Surekha made it clear that Satyanarayana was not her coach. “Satyanarayana had never trained me and the credit has been wrongly attributed to him. Right from my childhood, I underwent training under J Rama Rao and since 2013, I was in the Indian camp under the training of Jeevan Jyoti Singh Teja,” Surekha explained.
“In 2012, I played a championship in the USA with the financial support from the Andhra Cricket Association (ACA). From then, I have won medals in various national and international fixtures. How can the SAAP officials deduct the cash incentive announced by the Chief Minister without any prior intimation?” she questioned.
Surekha’s father V Surendra alleged that a few SAAP officials had entered into a compromise with Satyanarayana and sanctioned a part of the cash incentive to him. “If such is the case, how can Surekha represent the State in the coming fixtures?” he asked.“Naidu should immediately intervene in the issue or else, we don’t have any other option but to launch an indefinite hunger strike until the justice is done,’’ Surendra added.