MALAPPURAM: Sports Minister V Abdurahiman took a strong stance against the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Monday, criticising its handling of Kerala’s interests during the recent edition of the National Games.
He targeted IOA President P T Usha, accusing her of failing to protect the state’s sporting prospects.
“Kalaripayattu had great potential for medals for Kerala. P T Usha became a sportsperson with the support of the Kerala government - does anyone doubt that? Yet, even with someone like her leading the IOA, Kalaripayattu, Kerala’s traditional martial art, was excluded from the competition list in the recent National Games, and she did nothing to reinstate it.
Even though the Delhi High Court ruled that Kalaripayattu should not be removed from the list of events, the IOA President ignored the directive. The IOA should have worked to safeguard Kerala’s interests,” Abdurahiman said.
He also said that P T Usha’s sporting career was made possible with the support of the Kerala government.
Earlier, the minister had criticised sports organisations after Kerala’s poor performance in the National Games, stating that they were responsible for the decline. In response, the Kerala Olympic Association refuted his claim, asserting that the minister’s own performance was equally ineffective.
The association’s president, V Sunil Kumar, said that they had not received a single financial aid since he took office.