Mysuru: An international hockey player is running from pillar to post to get a site sanctioned by the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA). His attempts to get a site in his name (under sports quota) have so far not yielded any results and so far, he has only got assurances.

Meet G.M. Hariprasad, son of G.K. Mallappa who hails from Kodagu district and a resident of Bengaluru. He resides in the capital city as he is a player while his father works at Kodagu Coffee Growers Cooperative Society, Hunsur (Hunsur Coffee Works).

Hariprasad has represented India in over 110 international tournaments and he has won laurels for eight years. The notable international events he played are 2004 Athens Olympics, Doha Asian Games 2006, Hockey World Cup 2006, and Asia Cup 2009. Recognising his contribution to sports, the Karnataka government honoured Hariprasad with the prestigious Ekalavya Award in 2007.

While he represented India at International events for eight years, Hariprasad has represented Karnataka for over 15 years. In 2008, the Karnataka Olympic Association (KOA) honoured him with the KOA Award, Best Sportsperson of the Year. Despite his stellar achievement, Hariprasad has so far not been able to own a MUDA site under sports category — a category that is reserved for deserving sports personalities like him.

Hariprasad had applied for MUDA site measuring 40×60 under sports quota when the applications were called for R.T. Nagar and Lalithadrinagar in 2005, 2011 and in 2017. The applications were submitted to MUDA along with the mandatory registration fees and initial deposit.

“I applied thrice and unfortunately, MUDA has not considered my eligibility for the grant of site for sportspersons. When the Indian team won the Junior Asia Cup in Karachi in 2004, the then President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam had given me and my team a personal letter of appreciation. I cannot understand why my case is not considered by MUDA,” he told  Star of Mysore.

Interestingly, a popular Kannada actress and a resident of Mysuru has got “H-Category” 30×40 MUDA site at Lal Bahadur Shastri Nagar for her contribution in the field of sports and not for her contribution to the world of cinema. “How can one grant a site to an actress under sports quota,” Hariprasad questioned.

The MUDA has sanctioned H-Category sites (various dimensions) for the Lalithadrinagar North Layout to Santhosh Singh, a swimmer and a resident of Yadavagiri in Mysuru, K.B. Manavi, resident of Kyathanahalli in Pandavapura, Mandya district, W.D. Deepak, a resident of Dattagalli in Mysuru, H.P. Shivanna (wrestling), a resident of T.K. Layout.

This apart, I.R. Shalini of Vijayanagar First Stage, S. Thomas of Ashokapuram, K. Mukesh of Chamaraja Mohalla R. Srinivas of Ramakrishnanagar, S. Naveen of Raghavendranagar have been allotted sites. For Lalithadrinagar South Layout, Arun Maribashetty of Lalitha Mahal Road, K.M. Somanna of B.T.M. Layout in Bengaluru, N. Rekha of Ramakrishnanagar, Kiran Kumar Kulkarni of Bogadi, Shylaja of Ashokapuram, G. Jagadeesha of Hunsur, M.N. Nilan of Metagalli have been allotted sites under sports quota.

The list of sportspersons who have got Lalithadripura sites of various dimensions does not end here. C.M. Gopi Kumar of Kyathamaranahalli, K. Mahadeva of Avalahalli, P. Lakshmikanth of Dasarahalli in Bengaluru, S. Vijay of Kyathamaranahalli, S.N. Vishwanath of K.R. Nagar, Sindhu Koppa of Ramanuja Road, S.K. Mohi of Saraswathipuram, B.M. Ashwini of Vijayanagar First Stage, Basavaraju of Srirampura, S.J. Manjula of J.P. Nagar in Bengaluru, Pavithra Chandra of Malleswaram in Bengaluru, K.S. Srinivasalu of Nandini Layout in Bengaluru and C.M. Savitha of Hebbal in Mysuru have been sanctioned sites.

“Many of these people have got sites in their first attempt. Also, the criteria of the applicant must be a resident of Mysuru does not apply here as even people from Bengaluru have got sites. I am from Mysuru district and have chosen Bengaluru as my place of residence as I am a player,” Hariprasad said.

“Many times I have met MUDA Chairman and Commissioner appealing them to grant me a site as I have served the country in my own way. So far, I have only got assurances from them,” he said.