Kerala Minister under fire for ‘match-fixing’ remark against women’s beach handball players

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala’s beach handball players have strongly protested against the controversial "match-fixing" remark made by State Sports Minister V. Abdurahiman. The athletes have warned that if the minister does not withdraw his baseless allegations, they will throw their National Games silver medals into the sea in protest.

The protest took place in front of the Kerala Sports Council headquarters, with members of the women’s beach handball team expressing their dissatisfaction over the minister’s comments. The players also highlighted the lack of proper training facilities and last-minute travel arrangements, stating that they received their flight tickets only at the eleventh hour.

As nine team members gathered for the protest, security personnel at the Sports Council headquarters locked the main gate, prompting the players to stage a sit-in demonstration in front of the premises. Team manager Rubina Hussain, speaking to the media, alleged that the Sports Council had provided no support to the players and demanded an immediate retraction of the minister’s statement.

The controversy erupted after Kerala was forced to settle for a silver medal in the National Games final against Haryana. The team could not compete due to the illness of their goalkeeper. However, Minister Abdurahiman suggested that Kerala players had deliberately conceded the match in favour of Haryana, leading to widespread outrage among the athletes.

The players remain firm in their demand for the minister to retract his statement, as the row continues to escalate within Kerala’s sporting community.