Sports Ministry grants Rs. 2 lakh assistance to former Kabaddi player Tejaswini Bai

Sports Ministry grants Rs. 2 lakh assistance to former Kabaddi player Tejaswini Bai

Tejaswini Bai

An amount of Rs. 2 lakh was sanctioned to former Kabaddi player Tejaswini Bai by the Sports Ministry. The Karnataka player had previously won the Arjuna Award in 2011 and was also a member of the Women’s Kabaddi Team which clinched gold at two Asian Games – in 2010 and 2014.

Apart from these sanctioning of funds, it is noteworthy that the Sports Ministry and the Sports Authority have also planned to extend medical and accident insurance for athletes and support staff. This is done in order to ensure safety during the uncertain times of the COVID-19 pandemic which has been wreaking havoc in the country amid the second wave. More than 2 lakh cases are being reported everyday and the situation is dire.

Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju spoke about the same and was quoted by Khel Today as saying, “We want to ensure that all our athletes and contractual staff have health cover during these difficult times and even after. They are our National assets. Through this initiative, we are ensuring that all National-level athletes have insurance cover not just during the National camps but throughout the year. We have significantly raised the insurance cover for Khelo India scholar and junior athletes up to Rs. 5 lakh per athlete each year.”

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Tejaswini Bai’s husband had passed away due to COVID-19

Kiren Rijiju
Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju

Tejaswini and her husband had tested positive for COVID-19 on the 1st of May and on May 11, her husband passed away. “He was just 30 but he was panicking a lot after the death of his father. It was the fear and stress that took his life. I was not expecting this but the Sports Ministry, SAI and IOA took very prompt action to take this decision of giving us the assistance. This is the first time that we have been given such support. Many people like us have financial problems and if we get the proper help, it feels good,” Tejaswini said.

“I have to take care of my 5 months old baby and also invest on her future from this money. I am the only parent now and will have to do something for my child,” she added.

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