MADURAI: A day after TNIE flagged the issue of food shortage at the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) event venue in Madurai, athletes heaved a sigh of relief as District Collector M S Sangeetha on Monday took action against the private contractor concerned, changed the caterer, and the contract was given to another firm. Following this, the collector inspected the arrangements at the venue, where a wide range of food was served to the athletes, sources said.
"The food offered at the venue had been a major issue for the past two days. However, surprisingly on Monday, the food was great and there were many options.We thank the authorities for taking swift action to address the issue," said an athlete who had arrived to participate in the event.
Meanwhile, as the second round and quarterfinal matches took place on Monday, both TN girls and boys were bested by their respective opponents in the team category of the second round of the Gatka event. Also, a girl from TN who entered round two in the single category lost to an opponent from Punjab after a tough fight.
"This is the second competition the TN team is participating in after the 2021 Khelo event. In comparison with the previous one, our team has improved significantly. In 2021, all the athletes from the state had lost in the very first round. But this year, our athletes have managed to reach the second round in both team and single soti events," said Selvaraj Asan, Tamil Nadu Gatka Federation secretary.
He further requested the state government to recognise the sport to encourage young generations to acquire training in the art form and help athletes benefit. "With more talents, there are bright chances for the state to secure medals in such future events. The government should also broadcast the event to create awareness about such sports and martial arts," he added.
A sports enthusiast from Madurai said, "Not many of us know about Gatka, a traditional martial art of Punjab. Officials could bring school students to the event venue and let them witness the ongoing KIYG event. It will help in creating awareness among the children and they might even opt to practise the same to compete professionally in future events.