Centre steps in with jobs, Kerala govt boosts by awarding cash rewards for sporting personalities
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 14
Four Malayali sportspersons have received the Centre's recognition in the form of government jobs, with the Mumbai Income Tax Department appointing them under the sports quota, while Kerala steps up its financial rewards for sporting excellence.
Sandra Mol Sabu, Jilna M.V., Shyam Prasad U. and Alphonsia M. received their appointment orders from Alok Kumar, Mumbai Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, at an event at Aaykar Bhavan.
The four have excelled in athletics, football and badminton.
Sandra, who won gold in the 4x400m mixed relay and women's 4x400m relay at the 2026 Asian U-23 Athletics Championships in China, has been appointed as a Multi-Tasking Staff member.
She had earlier won gold and silver at the 2024 Asian U-20 Athletics Championships in Dubai.
Alphonsia, who represented Kerala in the Senior Women's National Football Championship in the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons, has also been appointed as Multi-Tasking Staff.
Jilna, who won silver in the 4x100m relay at the South Asian Senior Athletics Championships in Ranchi and the National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championships in Chennai in 2025, has been appointed as a Tax Assistant.
Badminton player Shyam Prasad has also been appointed as a Tax Assistant.
He won the men's doubles title at the 2023 APACS Kazakhstan International Series and finished third in the men's doubles at the 2025 South Zone Inter-State Badminton Championships.
The appointments followed a recruitment drive for 97 sports-quota vacancies notified in January.
The department received 3,595 applications from different sporting disciplines before selecting 97 candidates on merit and eligibility.
The Centre's employment based recognition comes alongside Kerala's decision to substantially enhance its cash rewards for medal winners.
The State Cabinet on Thursday approved Rs 20 lakh each for Commonwealth Games long-jump silver medalist Sreeshankar Murali and para-athlete Muhammed Basil, who won silver in the men's 100m.
The state will also give Rs 20 lakh each to Divi Bijesh, the under-12 World Chess champion, and Sandra Mol Sabu, who is now among those receiving the Central government appointment.
Commonwealth Games finalists Sajan Prakash and Ansa Babu will receive Rs 5 lakh each, while the coaches of Sreeshankar and Basil will get Rs 2 lakh each.
State Sports Minister O.J.Janeesh on Thursday said that its existing prize money structure Rs 5 lakh for gold, Rs 3 lakh for silver and Rs 1 lakh for bronze was inadequate and has moved to enhance the rewards.
At the same time, prize money for athletes who won medals in national and international competitions has remained pending since 2019.
The state government has sanctioned Rs 1.5 crore as the first instalment towards clearing the arrears.
For Kerala's athletes, therefore, recognition is coming in two forms, the Centre is opening the door to a government career, while the state is putting more money behind sporting achievement.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Sandra Mol Sabu winning gold at the Asian U-23 Championships and now getting a government job - what a proud moment for Kerala! But I hope the state clears those pending prize money arrears quickly. Athletes shouldn't have to wait years for their dues.
Good initiative overall, but 97 jobs out of 3,595 applicants is quite competitive. The selection process seems merit-based, which is fair. However, the government should also focus on creating better sports infrastructure at the grassroots level, not just rewards after achievements.
Rs 20 lakh for Sreeshankar and Basil is a significant increase from the earlier Rs 5 lakh for gold. At least Kerala is finally valuing its athletes properly. But why did it take so long? The pending arrears since 2019 is concerning. Better late than never, I guess.
Great to see women athletes being recognised! Sandra, Jilna, and Alphonsia - all getting Central government jobs. This sends a strong message that women in sports will be supported. Kerala's cash rewards for Divi Bijesh, a 12-year-old chess champion, is also heartwarming. 🌟
As someone from Kerala, I'm happy to see our state government stepping up. But I can't help wonder - why only Rs 5 lakh for Commonwealth Games finalists like Sajan Prakash? They've represented the country on such a big stage. The reward structure should be more consistent and generous across all levels.
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