01 July 2023, 02:00 AM IST
Thamarassery: There is no other way to live. He has a debt of Rs. They say that none of this medal will be considered for a government job in sports quota. I am ready to sell it if I can get daily expenses…” – P.K. The words of Muhammad Salihi (39).
Muhammad Salih, who was born blind, overcame many privations through chess. Salih’s grandfather, uncle and two sisters were blind. Recently, Salih’s second daughter also fell ill. It has been a long time since this young man, who was still holding on, started crying for a job.
Salih, who won FIDE rating in classical and rapid chess by competing against the sighted, is all set to auction his international medal. It has been a long time since the Odisha stalwart, who shared the silver medal with Mohammad Saleh in the team rapid chess for the visually impaired at the Asian Para Games held in Indonesia in 2018, has had a permanent job there. Salih approached the sports council, the sports minister and the chief minister but to no avail. I applied for LDC and Assistant posts under sports quota but the result was disappointing. Salih, an English graduate, has become a three-time champion in the Kerala Blind Chess Championship. In 2009, he was the captain of the Kerala team when Kerala became the runner-up in the National Blind Chess Championship.
The central government had given Salih and Prachuryapradhan a cash award of Rs 15 lakh each for their achievements in the Asian Para Games. Kottarakoth bought 12 cents of land with that amount. The liabilities up to that time have also been paid. Later, with good intentions, a closed house was prepared.
No longer participating in chess tournaments as it is difficult to find funds for daily expenses. This is because travel, food and registration costs a good amount of money. His wife Samshada cannot go to work as there are two visually impaired people at home. If the government doesn’t budge, the future of his family, which includes his wife and three children, Hanna (9), Faiha (6) and Hadi (3), will be in jeopardy.
2023-06-30 20:30:00
#sale #medal #won #insight
