MAil Today: Hockey India awaits arrival of fiscal

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Hockey India awaits arrival of fiscal help

By Tushar Bhaduri in New Delhi

Promised payments haven’t been made yet

OVER the last couple of weeks, several state governments, corporates and individuals have come forward with monetary offers for the national game and Hockey India has now asked these entities to back their words with action.

Both the men’s and women’s teams have cried foul over their unpaid dues and with the federation saying it does not have enough money, offers of financial assistance poured in from all over the country.

On Friday, Hockey India president Vidya Stokes said they were waiting for the money to arrive.

“ We are awaiting money to reach the players fund as announced by the governments of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, Shree Cement, Bollywood stars and money from their shows, Sunil Gavaskar on behalf of cricketers and other sources/ people who came forward,” Stokes said in a press note.

All of them have come forward in the media to express support for the players’ cause but there has not been any actual payment till now. Indian hockey plunged into another crisis a week after the pay dispute with the men’s team was resolved when the women players resorted to wearing black arm- bands to protest the non- payment of their dues. The players allege that they have not been paid anything from the federation for the past year- and- a- half despite commendable performances.

They won the Champions Challenge in Kazan, Russia, qualified for the World Cup after a silver medal- winning display in the Asia Cup and were impressive in the bilateral series against Argentina. Hockey India’s immediate reward of Rs 50,000 each to the campers in Bhopal was also rejected by the girls, who said the offer did not cover even half of their dues.

They alleged step- motherly treatment from the federation and demanded that they be treated on par with men.

But Hockey India asked the girls to be patient till the funds are in place and also promised the women players that they would be brought under an annual gradation system like their male counterparts.

“ Hockey India does not differentiate between men and women. The women’s team will also be paid at par with the men. We will also be doing grading of players for annual contracts,” Stokes said.

She clarified that more money would be paid once new officebearers take over after the February 7 elections.

“ Rs 50,000 being given to women is only an advance payment and balance payment will be paid by the new elected body of Hockey India,” Stokes said.

The interim Hockey India president also said that captains of both the men’s and women’s teams have been added to the six- member panel which would manage the funds pouring in from different quarters for the players.

The panel would also include four former India players — MP

Ganesh, Ajit Pal Singh, Zafar Iqbal and Dhanraj Pillay — as well as a member each from the Indian Olympic Association and Hockey India.

Meanwhile, sports minister MS Gill announced that Rs 1.1 crore has already been pooled in for women hockey players.

Gill said Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has agreed to give Rs 1 crore while Vinay Rai, of the Rai educational foundation, has promised Rs 10 lakh.

“ I went to an ASSOCHAM programme this morning and requested industry chieftains to make generous contribution to uplift hockey,” Gill said.

Meanwhile, the Rajasthan High Court granted a stay on the formation of an ad- hoc hockey body in the state which has been given affiliation by Hockey India for its February 7 election.