When will hockey players get free passes?

Prabhjot Singh

While Union Railway Minister has announced lifetime free travel facility in aircondition (first class) to members of the 2011 ICC World Cup champion Indian team and their families, five players of the 1975 Hockey World Cup champion Indian team are still to get their promised free travel passes.

“We are happy that the Union Railway Minister has announced lifetime free travel in air condition (first class) to players and families of the Indian cricket team, but we want the Ministry to release aircondition (second class) free travel facility to left out members of the Indian hockey team that won the 1975 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur,” says Brigadier Harcharan Singh, a member of the champion team.

Though 11 members of the 1975 World Cup champion team got the lifetime free travel passes in 1994, five members – Brigadier HJS Chimni, Ashok Dewan, Onkar Singh, Kalliah and Fernandes – could not be given the passes for one reason or the other. Incidentally, a couple of them represented Railways in the national championships before and after the maiden World Cup triumph.

“We have made several representations to the Union Railway Ministry to end this discrimination and extend the same facility to them also as other members of the victrious Indian team are enjoying since 1994. So far we have met with no success. Now is the time for us to remind the Railway Ministry to honour its commitment and extend the same facility to left out members of the World Cup champion team,” adds Brigadier Harcharan Singh.

He further says that hockey players are not asking for upgradation of their travel facility from air condition (second class) to air condition (first class) to be at par with the cricket players, but want that those who could not be extended this facility earlier should not be denied this any longer.