In a truly heartbreaking Facebook post, a cash-strapped 20-year-old squash player who won gold at the 2010 Asian Junior Championship, has put one of his kidneys up for sale to fund his next game.
Chennai-based Ravi Dixit, who was frustrated that he lacked funding for next month's South Asian Games, finally decided to put a kidney up for sale on Facebook for Rs 8 lakh, reported The Times of India.
His Facebook post allegedly read:
"I have been playing squash for the last 10 years. Even after winning so many medals and representing India so many times, I do not get any support to take my squash to the national and international levels. Dhampur Sugar Mill has supported me but how long will they continue to support me? Next month, the games are starting in Guwahati and I am representing India. To prepare for the tournament, I am training in Chennai but I have not been able to arrange enough money to fund my campaign for the games. I have lost my determination. I am ready to sell my kidney. If anyone needs a kidney, they can contact me. The price of my kidney is Rs 8 lakh (sic)."
The post is now either deleted or set to 'hidden' on his FB page.
The plea for help, while distressing, is also illegal.
Now, BJP leader and former Dhampur, Uttar Pradesh, MLA Ashok Kumar Rana has hit out at the Akhilesh Yadav government, giving the painful incident a political tint.
Rana told TOI: "The state government in UP is not paying any attention to sporting talents. Ravi Dixit's situation is a result of the state's attitude of neglect. It is our duty to help such sporting talents."
"Ravi wants to go to Guwahati in February for the South Asian Games, and we wish the Government would help. We don't have anything... and we don't want our son to sell his kidney," said Ravi's father, who works at the Dhampur Sugar Mill. He said he he was trying to scrape together money for his son's next game.
"We are not asking the Government to help us with our household expenses. We can take care of that. We just want our son to be able to play. And for that, we need their help," his mother said.
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