Sports hostel girls join ranks with their agitating coaches in Bengaluru

MYSURU: Sports hostel girls’ staged a protest supporting their coaches who are agitating in Bengaluru demanding regularization of their jobs and wage parity.
Nearly 90 coaches of the Sports Authority of Karnataka (SAK) are on an indefinite hunger strike since Friday. Coaches, who have been working on a contract basis for more than two decades, want their jobs to be regularized, posts to be upgraded to class 2-B scale and be paid the corresponding arrears.
There are nine SAK coaches who work in Mysuru. On Saturday morning, the girls surprised everyone by staging a protest in front of the Chamundivihar Stadium entrance gate.
The girls, without permission from the police department, closed the entrance gate and began their protest without permitting anyone inside the stadium. They urged the government to absorb their temporary coaches.
Said Suresh, assistant director, department of youth empowerment and sports, “The protest was sudden. The girls can stage a protest if they have a problem. But to protest demanding regularization of their coaches is not done. They had not taken permission. They called off the strike after three hours and submitted a memorandum to deputy commissioner Shikha.”
“Soon after the SAK coaches went to Bengaluru for the protest, alternative arrangements were made. The University of Mysore authorities have assured me that athletic, volleyball and hockey coaches will be provided,” added Suresh.
Various associations like Mysore District Volleyball, Basketball and Athletic Association have come out in support of SAK coaches.