Govt fund fails to enthuse players

BANGALORE: Hockey’s development is quite different from the welfare of its players. The point came to the fore at the women’s hockey camp in Bhopal once the players realised that they would be getting only a small percentage of the money received from contributions on Friday.

Players and coaches refrained from commenting on the issue but the unrest was visible after reports surfaced that a huge chunk of the Rs 1.1 crore donated by Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Chouhan and Assocham Commonwealth Games chairman Vinay Rai would go to the ministry’s National Sports Development Fund to promote women’s hockey.

‘‘We will pay them some money from the Rs 1.1 crore,’’ sports minister MS Gill had told TOI on Friday.

Sources in the camp said it made little sense to create a fund when the need of the hour was to meet the immediate needs of the players. ‘‘This decision will jeopardise the lives of many needy players at the camp,’’ said a source, adding that the situation was no different from what it was a few days ago.

‘‘Only, the focus has shifted from Hockey India to the ministry. But the players, who were actually instrumental in attracting donations, haven’t got a penny. Neither do they have access to the fund. What is the point in creating a fund for the future without meeting their needs now?’’

The team has been invited to a meeting with the Madhya Pradesh chief minister on Sunday, but as the players continued with their black armband protest, the amount in their joint account rose to Rs 83,889.