Sidhartha Babu Awaits Kerala Reward for Asian Para Games Gold

Sidhartha Babu says he is still waiting for Kerala to recognise his Asian Para Games gold with a reward equal to that announced for Asian Games gold medallists. The shooter won the Mixed 50m Rifle Prone SH-1 title at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games, held in 2023 after the event was delayed by a year, and set a Games record in the process.

According to Babu, Kerala announced ₹25 lakh for Asian Games gold medallists that year, but he has spent three years seeking an equivalent award for his Para Games achievement. He says the then CPI(M)-led state government offered him ₹2 lakh, an amount he declined.

His case has become a wider question of recognition and support for para-athletes in Kerala, particularly as India’s Asian Para Games medal returns have risen sharply in recent editions. Babu says athletes who invest years in training need acknowledgement that reflects both their results and the demands of elite sport.

A gold medal, but no equal reward

Babu has trained at the National Shooting Range Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram for 18 years. He says the state’s dedicated shooting range does not display posters of Kerala medallists, despite their international achievements. “Not even one poster of a state player who is winning the medals,” he said, describing this as an indication of the attitude towards local athletes.

He said there was no celebration when he returned from Hangzhou. Kerala’s felicitation for its Asian Games athletes took place while the Asian Para Games were still underway, he said, leaving the para-athletes outside that programme.

Nimisha Suresh, who won the women’s T47 long jump gold at the same Games, was also offered ₹2 lakh, according to Babu. He said she provided her bank details when asked by an official and received the money. Babu further said she later told him she had not touched it and was willing to return it. The report said this claim could not be independently verified.

Babu said he expected progress after the Congress returned to power in Kerala following the 2026 Assembly elections. Instead, he said, the matter has remained unresolved despite invitations to official functions and his efforts to raise it publicly.

At a hotel event before a recent felicitation ceremony, Babu said he used a microphone to raise the issue with Sports Minister O.J. Janeesh. Babu recalled being told that technical issues were being examined, but said he did not take that response as a sign that a reward was imminent.

He also expressed frustration with the nature of the ceremony, saying names of international athletes were read out quickly and that he did not want a plastic memento in place of meaningful recognition. As he was leaving, he said the minister handed him one at the door.

Calls for policy and lasting recognition

Babu said he has written to former Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman, former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities. He said an order from the commissioner requesting a state response went unheeded. After the change in government, he sent another letter through his local MLA.

He also claimed that N. Prashanth, Special Secretary in the Department of Sports, told him the reward was the previous government’s business, while assuring him the matter would be brought to the minister’s notice. The Kerala Sports Ministry and the Special Secretary did not respond to requests for comment cited in the report.

For Babu, the dispute is not solely about a cash payment. He says Kerala needs a written sports policy to reduce uncertainty and ensure that commitments to athletes do not disappear after public celebrations end. “We need sports policy first before you give me a cash award, but still I need my cash award,” he said.

He contrasted his situation with reported rewards received by athletes from Haryana and Odisha, while also noting that central payments reach athletes promptly after they return. Babu, who has also won a national gold medal in open competition against able-bodied shooters, says money was never his reason for entering the sport. What he seeks is recognition that can help younger athletes see sport as a viable future.