Karnataka's Kho Kho World Cup 2025 winners rejected the state government's low cash reward. M K Gautham and Chaitra B claimed the Maharashtra government rewarded their athletes with INR 2.25 crores compared to Karnataka's INR 5 Lakhs. The players felt Karnataka's cash reward was much less than Maharashtra's and threatened to discontinue playing the sport.
M K Gautham was a part of the Men's team that won the Kho Kho World Cup. The star player claimed it was not an insult on his part by rejecting the award. However, he believed to deserved respect and hence rejected the award. "We are not insulting the Chief Minister by rejecting the award but we did not get the respect we deserve. Hence we are rejecting it," said M K Gautham.
The Kho Kho World Cup winner explained that parents do not let their children play rural games and added the funds released by the government are concentrated on cricket. Gautham claimed the cricketers' cash prize gets announced even before the last ball of a particular match.
'We will not continue with this sport' - Kho Kho World Cup winner
"These days parents do not let their children play rural games and all the government funds are released for cricket. Even before the last ball is played, people (government) announce it on Twitter about the prize and award," added Gautham in his statement.
Chaitra B, the Kho Kho World Cup 2025 winner from India women, felt the need to get the same cash prize as those who got it from other governments. Along with Gautham, she asked the state government to analyze Mharashtra's cash prize and allot the same to them. She claimed to not continue the sport in the current circumstances.
"We are demanding the same amount which is given to the other World Cup players. Like other sportspersons, we too have got medals but we are deprived of the facilities given to sportspersons for various games. Just Rs five lakh has been announced... We will not continue with this sport under these circumstances," Chaitra said.