“If the Asia Cup winning team was not getting a flurry of reward compared to the Twenty20 World Cup winning cricketers, the difference between the two is their parent body. While the BCCI was the first to announce cash reward, and organized a mammoth reception, what did the Indian Hockey Federation do? I agree the IHF is not aflush with funds as that of cricket, but they can always organize a function and honour the players” says triple Olympian Hari Pal Kaushik.

His comments come in the wake of raging controversy in India against the backdrop of the winning cricket team getting awards and rewards from both public, governments and the BCCI, while the Asia Cup achievement went unnoticed.

Coach Joaquim Carvalho, who has the habit of calling spade a spade, came out openly on the step-motherly attitude of the Society at large and supported a section of hockey players’ proposed protest against the Chief Minister office in Bangalore, Karnataka. This provincial government announced a sinew of rewards for its State players in the cricket team, while did not take note of its State players in the Asia Cup golden team.

“In our days whenever we won a tournament, the IHF always organized rallies and organized meeting with bigwigs, which gave us enormous lift in the eyes of the Society. This present set of IHF people do not seem to bother about such niceties” he categorically said.

On asked whether the timing of hockey player’s protest was correct even as the nation is celebrating the cricket victory, he did not mince words: “Even mother won’t feed her baby unless it cries”.

Kaushik categorizes that it is first the Federation, and then the State and the third is the institution the players represent should honour the players in that order. “When the IHF, the first in the chain does not take off, the chain of reactions do not just occur”, the veteran says firmly.