IOA requests Sports Ministry to sanction one-time grant

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Narinder Dhruv Batra on Sunday requested Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju to sanction a 'one-time grant' to IOA, the National Sports Federations and the State Olympic Associations (SOA) to help them deal with the cash crunch being faced by them amid the coronavirus-induced crisis.

In a letter written to Rijiju, Batra said that all sports competitions, training and other related activities have come to a standstill and now in order to restart all these activities, it will require a lot of financial support.

Batra has requested the ministry to grant Rs 10 crore to IOA, Rs 5 crore each for Olympic sports NSFs, Rs 2.50 crore each for the non-Olympic sports NSFs and Rs 1 crore each for the SOAs.

"I appeal/request to you sir, Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju to take up with Government of India to support/give one time grant to the NOC of India, National Sports Federations and State Olympic Associations in this pandemic period to enable them to tide over the cash crunch crisis being faced by them and also for smooth running till Olympics in 2021 followed by Asian Games and Commonwealth Games in 2022," Batra said in the letter.

( With inputs from ANI )