Kerala’s sports minister Dominic Presentation has said that if Shobhini’s name featured in the list of 100 sportspersons to be appointed for a government job this year, one of her family members would be given the job.Presentation, who was speaking to reporters in Alappuzha, added that her name was ‘‘most likely to be in the list.’’ Shobhini committed suicide earlier this week. She could not afford to pay for medical treatment for a spinal injury.Presentation said that the balance prize money of Rs 2.07 lakh will soon be paid to her parents. He added that the state would entertain further genuine claims. However, he did not make a commitment to pay Shobhini’s family compensation, as demanded by Opposition leader V.S.Achuthanandan.In March, 1998, the minister said, the previous LDF government had said it would pay sportspersons in the state between Rs 10,000 and Rs 3 lakh as prize money. The previous government did not make any payments, he said, adding that the Antony government paid the entire dues from 1998 to 2002.
