Authorities here forgot to show courteousness towards a champion. None turned up to receive Achyutananda Sahoo.
From Bhubaneswar airport, he travelled in a bus to Kendrapara. As he alighted, there were none from the officialdom to greet him on homecoming.
Hugged by close relatives and friends at the local bus stand, he hired an auto rickshaw to his native village Manipura under Derabish Block headquarters of this coastal district.
The 18-year-old, whose parents struggle to make both ends meet, bagged gold medal in 62kg category at the championship, which recently concluded in Samoa, an island country in Africa.
Sahoo, undergoing training at Army training sports institute in Pune, had also won gold at Commonwealth youth weightlifting championship at Cape Town.
The teenager has put his native village on the world map as the locals have erupted in joy after his success.
"Government officials are insensitive. He should have been accorded a hero's welcome which the upcoming sportsperson deserves," said Ajaya Beberata, a local resident.
"It saddened me. None from the district administration made a courtesy call to greet me. I had expected a ceremonial welcome," rued Sahoo.
Kendrapara Collector Pradipta Kishore Pattnaik, however, said, "we are not at fault for not having received the champion on his homecoming. Sahoo should have informed us about his arrival at Bhubaneswar. Besides, there was no official communication from the Department Sports and Youth Affairs about the gold medal feat of the Kendrapara boy."
"We frantically tried to contact Sahoo, but could not. The district sports department was to welcome him," commented Narayan Behera, Kendrapara District Sports Officer. MORE
