Jauna Murmu. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, March 17: Five months after she won the gold medal in the 4x400 metre team relay event at the Commonwealth Games (CWG) in New Delhi, 20-year-old Jauna Murmu is feeling more disillusioned than euphoric.

The state government is yet to felicitate her like the other medallists from the state who were lavished with cash prizes.

Weightlifter K. Ravi Kumar, who clinched gold, was awarded Rs 10 lakh and a homestead land while athlete Srabani Nanda got Rs 3 lakh for her bronze medal. Prabodh Tirkey, ace hockey player and silver medallist at the CWG, was awarded Rs 5 lakh.

The government appears to be taking a bit too long perhaps because Jauna didn’t run in the finals though she was one of the six members who were part of the winning team and duly awarded a gold medal.

“I thought I would be felicitated by the state government. Unfortunately, even after waiting for three months, no recognition has come my way,” said Jauna, who hails from a nondescript village in Mayurbhanj.

Through some mediapersons, Jauna sought the attention of chief minister Naveen Patnaik in January. Naveen then directed the sports department to examine her claims.

“Initially, there was some confusion since the official website of CWG-2010 had names of just the four athletes who ran the finals,” said Jauna.

She was one of the four members who ran in the first round while two others were kept as reserve. “Chitra (of Kerala) and I were made to sit while the others ran the final,” said Jauna.

However, even after producing her documents, she is yet to receive an official response from the state mandarins.

“I was informed by some mediapersons that I would be felicitated during the Biju Patnaik sports award on March 5. But I didn’t receive any invitation,” she said.

S.P. Mishra, director of youth affairs and sports, Orissa, said the department is pursuing her case and she would be awarded as soon as they receive an “official confirmation” from the Centre.

Parag Gupta, secretary of the department, said: “We have got a clarification from the CWG organisers that it was a team event and all six should get credit. But a letter from the government of India is awaited. As soon as we get that, she would be felicitated.”

However, a senior official of the sports ministry in New Delhi said: “We are not aware of the situation. Now that the topic has come up, we will certainly look into it. If she (Jauna) deserves the award, we will definitely do the needful.”

After the 2005 Asian championships in Incheon, South Korea, all six members of the Indian women’s relay squad, including two reserves, received equal cash awards from the ministry after the relay quartet clinched the gold.