Sports Minister, fellow athletes offer help to Santhi

Winner of 11 international medals for India and around 50 medals for her home state Tamil Nadu, Santhi Soundarajan saw herself pushed down and humiliated, then forgotten and forced to slog it out in a brick kiln for sustenance. But now help is on way. Sports Minister Ajay Maken has come forward to provide support for her. “I am concerned over the plight of Santhi who won a medal for us at the Asian Games. To set things right, I would want Santhi’s gender rechecked. If she is keen on continuing with her athletics career, we will help her with that too,” he was quoted as saying in a Times of India report. [caption id=“attachment_389879” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Santhi Soundarajan (L) after winning a silver at the Asian Games. Reuters[/caption] Public sector GAIL (India) Ltd has also announced a relief of Rs 1,00,000 for Santhi. “A GAIL officer met Santhi Soundrarajan and conveyed the decision of the company regarding the relief. GAIL has granted this relief on purely humanitarian considerations and its decision has no reflection on the issues of the case,” said a company statement. Former Indian athlete Ashwini Nachappa said she will try to get Santhi a decent job. “I have spoken to people known to me. I hope something good happens to Santhi,” Nachappa told IANS. Earlier on Tuesday Santhi was quoted as saying: “All I want a job. I am not saying I want this or that job. A job that offers me security.” Currently working in a brick kiln for a daily wage of Rs 200,  she said:  “I am not being treated like a human being. All I need now is a job that secures my future.” “Though I have coached a girl who has won silver medal in the under-16 3000 metres at a national meet held in Bhopal, I am told that I cannot get a coaching job as I have not passed the exam,” said Santhi who won the 800 metres silver medal in the Doha Asian Games but saw it taken away after she failed a gender test. She said the prize money of Rs 15 lakh given to her for winning the Asian Games medal was spent in marrying off her sister, financing the education of her brother and sister and for day-to-day expenses. For sometime, she was on contract as a coach at Tamil Nadu’s Sports Development Authority. However the contract was not renewed. “I have written a letter to Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa narrating my plight and seeking a job,” Santhi said. With inputs from Agencies