Bhubaneswar: The senior India men's national football team decided to donate a part of the cash prize they received from the Odisha Government to the families affected by the Balasore Train Accident. The recent train accident which witnessed a triple-train collision in the Balasore district of Odisha with the death tool mounting to 292, as per the latest figures and over 1,000 sustaining serious injuries.
The Indian team announced that it will be donating INR 20 lakh to the victims of this tragic accident for towards "relief and rehabilitation" of the families. The decision came after the Blue Tigers won their second Intercontinental Cup in three seasons. The hosts beat Lebanon 2-0 in the finals at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar to clinch the title with the help of a goal each from Sunil Chhetri and Lallianzuala Chhangte.
Notably, it was the Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who had announced an INR 1 crore cash reward for the team but the side collectively donated 20 lakh for the cause.
"We're grateful for the gesture by the Government of Odisha to award the team with a cash bonus for our win. In what was an instant and collective decision by the dressing room, we've decided to donate Rs. 20 lakh of that money towards relief and rehabilitation work for families affected by the unfortunate train accident in the state earlier this month," the Indian Football Team tweeted.
"Nothing will compensate for the loss that people have faced, but we hope that this plays its own little part in helping families cope and tide through what are very tough times," they further wrote.
The accident involved three trains Yeshwantpur-Howrah Superfast Express, Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express and a goods train. with the maximum casualties on the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express.