Ernakulam: The Kerala government has intervened in a crisis involving the state's National Badminton Championship team, who found themselves stranded at Ernakulam railway station due to unconfirmed train tickets. Education Minister V. Sivankutty took action after the athletes, 23 junior and senior players, along with the coach and manager were left without confirmed seats on the Mangala Lakshadweep SF Express, scheduled to depart on Thursday at 1:30 pm.

Sources from the education department informed Mathrubhumi that, in light of the ticketing issues, they are now working to transport the team to Narmadapuram, Madhya Pradesh, by air. The National Badminton Championship is set to begin on November 17, and the team must reach the venue promptly.

The problem began when only two of the 23 tickets booked for the team in third AC were confirmed. Despite attempts to secure tickets under the emergency quota, typically available to ministers and MPs, none of the remaining tickets were confirmed. This left the athletes stranded at the station.

Government officials explained that the issue arose due to changes in the train's composition, which resulted in a lack of available seats. "Sometimes these issues occur during train bookings, but with the help of the railway authorities, we’re usually able to accommodate players. However, today, two bogies were removed, leaving no available tickets for the athletes," an official source explained.

Minister Sivankutty acted quickly, instructing officials to explore alternative transportation options. With the players required to report to the competition venue on the 16th, authorities are making every effort to ensure the team reaches the venue on time. The government would bear all associated costs, including the flight tickets for the athletes.