The sports ministry has granted Rs.01 million as expenses for the 16-member team to the the eight-day championship that began yesterday (28).

The team members are unaware of this financial allocation, and this official had collected Rs. 1.04 million from them, at Rs. 65,000 each, purportedly as their expenses.

Sports director K.D.S. Ruwanchandra has released the money at the request of a ministry official who is the acting badminton CEO until an election is held.

This official has not mentioned to the team members about the grant from the ministry, and has not told the sports director about the money he had collected from the team.

The school badminton association’s president Kithsiri Liyanagamage and treasurer Saman Wijesinghe both confirmed that they had not received any money from the parent association.

Meanwhile, the official website of the Asian junior badminton championship says six players from each participating country will be given accommodation and the breakfast and 10 dollars for the other two meals, for nine days.

They will also be given a concession for air tickets, which is said to be around 3,500 dollars.

Parents of the Lankan players have to bear expenses for the five female officers who accompanied the team to Thailand.

The CEO in question too, had left for Bangkok, on the next plane after the team departed, saying that he was going there to watch the matches.