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world sport news roundup
28 | Touchline issue 23 | April 2016
Five-time Winter Olympian Shiva Keshavan of India was forced
to pull out of the Luge World Championships in January and the
ongoing Luge World Cup season due to a lack of funding.
Keshavan won a silver medal at the Asian Luge Championships
in December in the Japanese city of Nagano, the scene of
his Asia Cup triumphs in 2011 and 2012. He has submitted a
number of funding applications in the past two years, under the
National Sports Development Fund (NSDF).
But a statement issued on behalf of Keshavan read: "With no
favourable response despite the podium finish in his previous
race, Shiva has been forced to cut his season short."
Keshavan, the first Indian luger to compete at the Winter
Olympic Games when he participated at the 1998 Games in
Nagano, has also lost the services of his American coach Duncan
Kennedy, who has decided to quit having not been paid his
complete salary in 2015.
Kennedy, a holder of 21 world titles and former technical
director of the USA Luge team, had begun working with
Keshavan in 2014 and strongly believed that the Indian team
had the ability to bring more successes to the country.
"I am amazed and surprised at how a country like India cannot
come up with money to pay the expenses of a five-time
Olympian," said Kennedy, who was Keshavan’s first and only
personal coach.
"Shiva is such a great ambassador for India. His dedication to
his country and his sport, his international performance and his
conduct has brought India much glory and admiration wherever
he has taken the Indian flag.
"I already knew some of the difficulties Indian athletes face due to
funding, but no professional coach can work without being paid."
It is claimed in the statement that the Sports Ministry had
agreed to pay Kennedy his salary in late 2015, but capped it at
one-third the amount leaving Keshavan the task of paying for his
coach out of his own pocket.
INDIA
IND I AN LUGER OUT OF WORLD CHAMP IONSHI PS DUE TO LACK OF FUNDS