"Can't normalize giving out sports quota jobs to junior athletes" - Asian Games medalist Tejaswin Shankar

Tejaswin Shankar, one of India’s prominent high jumpers, has said that giving jobs to junior athletes on sports quota does not set the right precedent in Indian sports.

Shankar, who won bronze in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, feels that athletes should be rewarded for consistent performances over a period of time.

Earlier on Wednesday, March 6, Sports Minister Anurag Thakur rewarded the medal winners in the Khelo India Games - Youth, University, Para, and Winter Games.

Thakur said that as per a revised criterion, athletes will be eligible for government jobs. However, Shankar had a different opinion, saying that hard work and consistency should be rewarded.

"If we want to be a sporting superpower, we can't normalize giving out sports quota jobs to youth/junior athletes. Needs to be a criteria eg: 3 years of consistent medals at nationals or 5 years of being in top 8 nationally etc.," Shankar wrote on X.

"... incentive to resort to unfair means is really high when u have a govt job at hand and all u have to do it (sic) medal once at age group level nationally. We need to reward consistency not spikes in performance," he continued.

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"Khelo India is a wonderful opportunity" - Tejaswin Shankar

Shankar, who also has an Asian Games silver medal to his name, lauded Khelo India for setting the base for sports in the country but reckoned that the criterion for jobs should be amended.

"Khelo India is a wonderful opportunity to grow awareness, scout talent, develop interest, create a sporting ecosystem etc etc. i.e.: True grassroot development which is a welcome addition! Jobs don't fit in this conversation..."

Back in February, the Sports Ministry's Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) allowed financial assistance to Shankar to take part in tournaments in Europe to better his chances of qualifying for the Paris Olympics.

He is set to take part in the Gala Elmos in Belgium followed by the International Athletic Meet and the Czech Republic’s Hvezdy Nehvizdy.