The sports ministry Thursday approved a financial assistance of Rs.60,500 to former athlete Shanthi Sondarajan, taking into consideration her poor financial condition.
Recent reports in the media said that she is living in indigent circumstances and was working as a daily wager at a brick kiln in Tamil Nadu.
Shanti has applied for pursuing a regular National Institute of Sports (NIS) diploma in coaching at the Bangalore Centre of Sports Authority of India (SAI). The amount was granted by Sports Minister Jitendra Singh to meet her expenditure towards fee, lodging and boarding, sports kit etc. for undergoing the course.
The grant was made from the National Welfare Fund for Sportspersons to Shanthi, who had won a silver medal at the 2006 Doha Asian Games. The medal was later withdrawn as she was not found eligible to compete in female category because of female hyperandrogenism.
