news details |
|
|
| Jammu Marathon-A ‘marathon scam’? | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Nov 11: The Jammu Half marathon organized in Jammu by a private club purportedly to sensitize youth against drug menace on Sunday in collaboration with department of physical education university of Jammu has been alleged to be a quick scam of 'marathon proportion'.
Sources disclosed that over 400 athletes who participated in the event were charged fat entry fee, which proved to be so unaffordable for the genuine athletes that they could not participate in it. "The sole purpose of the organizers was to make money from the event and they collected fee @ Rs.500/- per head for 5 km race, Rs. 1000/- for10 km race and Rs. 1600/- for the 21 km race, thus collecting huge bounty; but the genuine athletes could not participate as they could not afford such unreasonable entry fee" said a noted athlete of Jammu who could not participate in the event. "Besides collecting huge money through the entry fee, the organizers roped in over a dozen sponsors which included government departments" he added.
Early Times has learnt that the entry fee was collected online and the organizers did not disclose the prize money till the start of the event. It was later disclosed that the winner, runners up and second runners up in each event were to be paid cash awards of Rs. 15k, Rs. 10k and Rs. 5k respectively. The participants were also given a pack of modest eatables in the name of refreshments, besides a T-Shirt.
While the event turned out to be huge money spinner for the organizers, genuine athletes who could not be part of the event are questioning participation of government organizations in the private event which was organized for the sole purpose of making money. "We demand an inquiry into the event, which was purely a commercial initiative and the participation of government bodies in it" said a noted marathon runner of Jammu. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
