‘Fence-sitting’ for three junior Kerala fencers

It is time to put in all energy, with the 2012 Asian Junior and Cadet Fencing Championship just two weeks away. However, three members of the junior Indian fencing team from Kerala are busy running from pillar to post for obtaining the fund for participating in the event.

S G Abhijeet, Anjana Jayrajan and Anu Joe Eldo are part of the 48-member team selected for the Asian Junior and Cadet Fencing Championship for boys and girls to be held at Bali in Indonesia from September 30 to October 9. The event is being organised by the Indonesia Fencing Association.

The team members were selected on the basis of their achievement in the Cadet National Fencing Championship 2011 held at Kolkata and Junior National Fencing Championship 2011 at Cuttack. Each member of the fencing team will have to bear an expense of Rs 1,40,688.

“The Ministry of Sports, Government of India, is not giving any financial help for the participation in the championship. So, the expenditure incurred for the participation has to be borne by the fencer and the state or unit concerned,” says Sanjay Pradhan, secretary general of Fencing Association of India(FAI), in his letter.

“The FAI has no objection, if the fencer wishes to make his or her own arrangements for participation in the above said championship and the FAI will assist and issue the necessary documents as required,” the communique adds.

The total amount needed for the 12-member team, including coach Sagar Suresh Lagu, will come around Rs 18 lakh. The fencers and the state unit of the fencing association are finding it difficult to meet the expenses.

“We have sent a request to Kerala Sports Council on September 7 regarding the financial assistance. A V Anoop, president of Kerala Fencing Association, has agreed to provide a part of the required amount and the team members are also approaching the individual sponsors,” said M M Abdul Rehman, secretary of Kerala Fencing Association.

“We received the representation only today. It needs a governmental sanction, as the amount is huge. So we will forward it as a proposal to the government,” Abdul Razzak, Kerala Sports Council secretary, told Express on Tuesday.