Watch this shocking video sent to Sportsbackstory.com by athletes, showing the poor lodging facilities provided by the Railways at Delhi’s Karnail Singh Stadium, which reportedly forced them to leave the camp. A Railway team coach did not respond to Sportsbackstory.com questions on the issue.
Navneet Singh
Nearly a week after reporting for the Indian Railways camp at Delhi’s Karnail Singh Stadium in preparation for the World Railway Cross Country Championship, eight selected athletes have left the camp, raising serious questions about the arrangements.
Shabby accommodation at the Karnail Singh Stadium reportedly forced five male and three female athletes to quit the camp. Players who spoke to Sportsbackstory.com said the facilities were so poor that they found it difficult to continue staying there.
The athletes are now training at nearby locations in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh as they prepare for the 18th USIC World Railway Cross Country Championship, scheduled to be held in Prague, Czech Republic, from November 13 to 16.
The players were reportedly unhappy with the condition of the rooms allotted to them at the stadium. Plaster was coming off the walls and ceilings, while damp walls caused by seepage added to their discomfort.
All five male athletes were accommodated in a single shabby room. Despite complaints, their accommodation was reportedly not changed.
According to a document signed by Ravinder Kumar, Joint Secretary, Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB), five male and three female athletes were selected to represent the Railways at the global championship.
All selected athletes reported for the camp on October 28 but left on November 4. The camp is scheduled to conclude on November 11.
“Poor facilities reflect badly on the officials responsible for making the arrangements,” one of the athletes told Sportsbackstory.com on condition of anonymity. A Railway team coach declined to comment on the accommodation arrangements and the team’s preparations for the global event. “I am not authorised to speak to the media,” she told Sportsbackstory.com over the phone.
EOM
