Winners drown in insults of officials

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: They have just lifted the coveted trophy of overall champions in the State School Aquatic Championship that concluded on Thursday in Thrissur. But the young swimmers of the contingent which represented the capital district are not too happy, for their success stood sandwiched between two big insults that may have a long-lasting impact.The contingent experienced a xerox copy of what they went through during the start of their tour, as the team management again failed to reserve tickets to ensure a decent journey. The team which went as one unit had to return in two, of boys and girls, in two separate trains owing to this. They arrived in the city during the wee hours of Friday, when no one was awake to give them a reception or to hear their complains.The first insult had come right at the start of the tour itself. The contingent members, as many as 135 of them, including the students and their coaches, were left stranded at Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station when the accompanying teachers, who had earlier said that they had reserved the tickets, turned up at the last minute and told them that tickets had not been booked and they would have to travel in a general compartment, which was already packed.The students had staged a protest at the railway station, before the railway authorities intervened and made arrangements to accommodate them in another packed train.The ill-treatment, however, did not affect the students. They put up a brave show and amassed a whopping 661 points to win the championship. Ernakulam, which finished second, had only 180 points.According to one of the coaches, the victory was not enough to earn the young swimmers a better treatment.A parent, who has been accompanying his daughter to events for about three years, said that these things recur and only the persons change. "There is no use in complaining after the damage has been done,’’ he said. His daughter had won two gold medals in the championship. He, along with a few other parents, had travelled along with the contingent at their own expense.However, the parents are determined not to let this happen next time. "Our kids have earned a spot in the National Championship to be held in Goa. If the ill- treatment continues, they will learn what we can do,’’ he said.Even though the coaches and parents of the students voiced their protest in strong words, they did not allow City Express to talk to the champion swimmers, for they feared that it might harm their future. Five physical education teachers, three men and two women, of various govt schools  had accompanied the students as team managers.