MUMBAI // An Indian squash player has taken the unusual step of putting his kidney up for sale to raise funds ahead of next month’s South Asian Games, according to local media reports.
Ravi Dixit, who will turn 23 this week, is part of the home squad for the event taking place in northeast India and has used social media to offer up an organ for an asking price of 800,000 rupees (Dh43,902) due to a lack of sponsors.
His father’s employer, the Dhampur Sugar Mill, has provided financial assistance in the past but according to Dixit, the funds were no longer enough to support him.
“I need at least Rs 1 lakh to participate in the South Asian Games but have not been able to find any sponsor,” Dixit was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times newspaper on Tuesday.
“So, I have decided to sell my kidney for Rs 8 lakh so that I can participate in other tournaments as well for the rest of the year.”
Cricket is an obsession for many Indians and around 90 percent of advertising revenue targeted at sports goes to the country’s most popular game, analysts say.
When contacted by Reuters, the governing Squash Rackets Federation of India, did not immediately respond for comment.
Dixit’s attempts to sell the kidney, forbidden by law in India, is also a cause of concern for his parents.
“I have spoken to Ravi. He is in Chennai right now but I spoke to him on the phone. His mother and I are imploring him not to take the step,” Ravi’s father, Ramkailash, told the Times of India newspaper.
“Together, we will figure out a way to deal with this crisis. This way, he will ruin both his life and career.
“I funded my daughter’s wedding with Ravi’s winnings. Since he has to support the family as well, he cannot use much of what he gets for himself.”
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La Mer lowdown
La Mer beach is open from 10am until midnight, daily, and is located in Jumeirah 1, well after Kite Beach. Some restaurants, like Cupagahwa, are open from 8am for breakfast; most others start at noon. At the time of writing, we noticed that signs for Vicolo, an Italian eatery, and Kaftan, a Turkish restaurant, indicated that these two restaurants will be open soon, most likely this month. Parking is available, as well as a Dh100 all-day valet option or a Dh50 valet service if you’re just stopping by for a few hours.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
