The world champions returned home but no one from the state government thought the occasion merited an official reception. Ashlesha Mhatre and Suvarna Barpatte, part of the women’s kabaddi team that won the first world championship in Patna on Sunday, landed at Mumbai airport at 4am on a Go Air flight.

At the airport they were met by some 40 family members and another 40 fans, including the BJP’s leader of the opposition in the Vidhan Parishad, Vinod Tawade. But there was no one from the state kabaddi association, save a lone district level official.

Tawade was particularly critical of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who is also the president of the Maharashtra kabaddi association, for not turning up to receive the world champions. “Mhatre and Barpatte are from Mumbai. It is shocking that Ajit Pawar did not think it important enough to come here personally. The least he could have done was to send a proper delegation to receive the champions,” he said.

Tawade lamented that he was the only politician who had turned up. “Had it been a cricket team coming here, all the ministers would have turned up to receive them,” he said.

The BJP leader said what was particularly hypocritical was the fact that the state ministers always speak about promoting sports besides cricket. “Yet when there was an occasion to show our appreciation of other winners, they do nothing,” he lamented, adding that he was not politicising the issue but pointing out a problem.

The Indian women’s team defeated Iran in the final.