THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Sijo George, the captain of Kerala’s football team that bagged consecutive victories in national championships for people with cerebral palsy, is despondent. Despite the feat, the team is yet to get any recognition, financial or otherwise, from the state government. Making matters worse, the Kerala State Sports Council (KSSC) is yet to approve the request for affiliation submitted by the Cerebral Palsy Sports Association of Kerala (CPSAK), which sent the team to the games.
Despite the snub, Sijo remains loyal to Kerala and his team. This was why he had no trouble turning down a lucrative offer to join the Tamil Nadu team. “Sure, it would have been a personal gain. However, my team will suffer if its captain left abruptly. I don’t want to desert my teammates, especially at a time when we are preparing for events like the Khelo India Games,” Sijo, 23, told TNIE.
Players from Tamil Nadu, which is hosting the Khelo India Games, reached out to Sijo as the state looks to strengthen its team across various disciplines. Last year, TN was able to snatch a player from the Kerala team.
Though it finished second in this year’s National Cerebral Palsy Football Championship, the TN team received a hero’s welcome upon return. TN Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin honoured the players by handing over a cash prize of Rs 60,000 to each of them. The victorious Kerala team received no such recognition.
As for the pending approval for affiliation, CPSAK secretary R Girija Kumari said they sought the KSSC nod following a direction from the Cerebral Palsy Sports Federation of India (CPSFI), the apex body of state-level cerebral palsy sports associations.
While states like Tamil Nadu have approved state-level organisations affiliated to CPSFI, Girija said the KSSC is yet to take a decision on its application. “Those winning in our meets cannot use the certificate to apply for jobs under government quota as we lack affiliation,” she said.
KSSC president U Sharaf Ali said the council is awaiting the government’s decision on the matter. “We have received applications from CSPAK and one other organisation working for people with disabilities. The Kerala’s Sports Act bars giving affiliation to two organisations working in the same field. We have referred the matter to the government for an appropriate decision,” he told TNIE. He said other states do not have such a legal issue.
Getting the affiliation will work wonders for CSPAK, opined Girija. “Cerebral palsy sports associations across the world work on hierarchy model. CPSFI is recognised by the International Federation of Cerebral Palsy Football and other global organisations. It gives affiliation to just one association in every state. In Kerala, we are its associate,” she said. The CSPAK team won the national athletics and football championships in 2022 and 2023. With hardly any support, the Kayamkulam-based association is struggling to find the required funds.