1956 Olympic heroes accuse AIFF of backtracking on its promise

Kolkata: Accusing the AIFF of treating the former football heroes with utter disrespect, former Indian captain Samar `Badru` Banerjee today said the national body has backtracked on its promise to look into a pension scheme for the 1956 Olympians. AIFF President Praful Patel had promised he would personally look into a pension scheme requested by Banerjee and his living colleagues of the 1956 Olympics after they turned down a one-time financial grant, but Banerjee now said the national body has backtracked on its promise. "We are not begging for any help but it`s really an insult to us that AIFF does not have the minimum courtesy to acknowledge our requests. We belong to the federation and believe we are assets of Indian football. It`s really sad the AIFF ignores us and that is damaging our self-respect," Banerjee told reporters. A financial grant of Rs 25,000 by AIFF in July was rejected by nine living members of the 18-member 1956 Olympics squad and Banerjee had in August written to the general secretary Alberto Colaco suggesting a pension scheme on the lines of the BCCI. Banerjee sent a reminder in October but not getting any response he knocked the doors of Indian Football Association. IFA secretary Utpal Ganguli has written a letter to the AIFF voicing the concerns of the former Olympians but the national body is still unmoved. PTI