Canadian players pay Dollar 5000 each to represent their country
It costs Dollar 5000 for each Canadian player to represent their country in the Junior World Cup
Canada and India are not only geographically wide apart entities; and if you consider the environ in which both countries’ hockey players operate, the distance, both actual and virtual, increase manifold.
Consider this.
Manpreet Singh, Indian captain, is just in his 20, but already a millionaire hockey player; not that he is born in an affluent family but he is born in an ‘affluent hockey country’.
Manpreet is not alone in being a state of affluence, take for instance the lanky Ramandeep Singh’s rise, like Phoenix from ashes.
He was banished for taking a couple of lacs of rupees for being part of now defunct World Hockey series. Now, after banished for year and after making his debut ‘second time’, for both junior and senior levels this year, he was sold for USD 81,000 in the closed HIL Bid.
What this has to do with Canada and its perceived ‘wide apart’ story.
Yes, while in one part of the world players get paid for their services, most claim disproportionately, on the other hand in another part of the world the players pay for playing, just not that Club fee, but for representing their country.
Yes, its true.
Canadian players paid Canadian dollar 5,000 to be part of their national team that is taking part in the ongoing Delhi Junior World Cup.
“Yes, our Federation is poor, and we don’t get any government assistance. There is no way other than this”, confided an official.
The fee is all the more double taxing for Panesar Senior whose two siblings are now playing for Canada in Delhi.
Sukhi Panesar is eldest of his three sons, and had already played at the senior level, being part of Pan American Games.
Paneswar Sr, who is with his full family, wife and youngest son included, are here.
When asked whether its not double taxing for you as two of his sons are playing and he had had mop up 10k dollar, he has simple reply.
“We have to see the welfare of my sons, what they want, and what they relish. Yes, to keep them tuned to the game, and pay this bill is a bit heavy, but it is the sacrifice we parent have to do keeping our wards interest in mind’, he says smilingly.
“Ok we will not be able to go for bigger house, better house, and may not be going for bigger car or better car, the money goes to our children’s hockey interest, that matters”, says he.
“We play for our country’s pride”.
“Cost hardly matters”.
And is not further cutting your purse as you follow the team here with your entire family?
Panesar Sr. has a ready response. “We make it a point to collectively do other things, like going to our village in Ludhiana district”.
Hockey in most part of the globe is a family sport, and one can for instance see a lot of families assembled here in Delhi to witness their young ones in action.
So, what if their wards are not earning like the likes of Manpreet Singhs and Ramandeep Singhs.
They play for the heck of country’s pride, and parents wish see their kids do what they think their choice.
Pic Caption:
Top: Sukhi Panesar
Below: His parents in Delhi