Was awarded as long as she played for state: Delhi govt on Divya Kakran

“Wrestling Federation of India has confirmed that since the year 2017, Divya Kakran has been representing Uttar Pradesh. Therefore, she is not covered under various reward schemes of the Delhi government as these schemes are meant for players who represent Delhi. Further, the government of Delhi respects and honours each and every player in the country. Directorate of Sports will be happy to support Divya Kakran also, in case she applies for financial assistance as per procedure, as the directorate is already funding thousands of players every year under its various schemes,” the statement said.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, however, Kakran said she hadn’t received any help from the Delhi government. “By 2017, I had given Delhi 58 medals. The Delhi government never helped us. I started fighting from Uttar Pradesh in 2018,” she said, addressing a press conference, adding that since she has been playing for Uttar Pradesh, she had received a lot of help. “In 2019, the UP government gave me the Rani Laxmi Bai Award. In 2020, they gave me a life-long pension,” she added.

The Delhi government, meanwhile, said it had assisted sportspersons representing Delhi. “The sportspersons who represent Delhi are being awarded under various schemes like Mission Excellence, Play and Progress and cash incentives to sportspersons. Crores of rupees have been distributed to sportspersons under various schemes since 2015-16,” the statement said.