New Delhi: A gold medal at the national level should have been a moment of celebration. Instead, for a Class 12 taekwondo player in Uttarakhand, it became a story of an international opportunity she says she could not afford to pursue.
The student, Shayra, broke down while speaking to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami at a youth interaction program in Dehradun, telling him that although she had been selected to compete internationally, she could not travel because of the expenses involved.
In a video of the interaction circulating on social media, Shayra tells Dhami that she had recently travelled to Jammu for the taekwondo nationals, where she won a gold medal. She then says she was selected for an international competition but would have had to pay Rs 1.5 lakh to participate.
The room falls silent. Dhami responds with an “accha” (ok) before telling her, “Chalo chalo beta, abhi baith jao.” (“ok dear, now sit down”). He asks which school she attends and says the matter will be looked into.
Questions over support for young athletes
The clip drew sharp criticism online, with users questioning why government sports departments were not identifying and supporting promising athletes.
“Why can’t the govt sports dept keep track of such meritorious students and sponsor them when required?” one user posted on X.
Another user wrote that the interaction had exposed alleged corruption in the sports system:
“Uttarakhand CM gets a taste of Gen Z in his outreach, when a Taekwondo player (champion) exposed corruption in the Sports Ministry where bribe was demanded to include her in international competition.”
Shayra issues clarification
A student of CNI Girls Inter college, Shayra later posted a video clarifying the circumstances surrounding the incident. According to her, she had been selected to represent India at an international event in Romania. She said the federation was providing Rs 1.7 lakh towards the trip, while she would have had to bear the remaining expenses herself.
“I didn’t inform my school or anyone, and that is why I could not go,” she said in the clarification video.
Her clarification, however, has not entirely quietened the questions raised by the episode. The videos have prompted questions about how young athletes, particularly those from financially constrained backgrounds, are supported when they qualify for international competitions and whether the cost of representing the country can become a barrier even after an athlete earns selection.
(Edited by Maryam Hassan)