Sports ministry douses hockey players’ ire
NEW DELHI: The sports ministry on Wednesday closed the stable door after the horses had bolted, announcing a cash award of Rs 1.5 lakh for each player and official of the Indian hockey team that beat Pakistan in the final to win the inaugural Asian Champions Trophy in Ordos (China) recently.
The players, who had refused to accept the Rs 25,000 reward for each player and official as an “insult” to their achievement, ended up with a windfall as Punjab sports minister Sukhbir Singh Badal also announced a reward of Rs 25 lakh for the team.
This announcement came late in the afternoon after a now familiar drama-the players had protested in 2010 too-played out on the TV channels all day. It all began in the morning when news broke that the players had refused to accept the reward of Rs 25,000 each announced by Hockey India (HI).
Sports minister Ajay Maken’s tweet then added to the growing confusion and uproar.
“Rs 25000 cash award was not announced by the government but by Hockey India. Government spends all the money on training, coaching and foreign exposure,” Maken tweeted.
“Government spent 7.81cr on hockey team in last 6 months alone! 5.97cr-national coaching camps, 1.75cr foreign visits, 8.75 lakh on foreign experts,” he wrote.
This gave the impression that he wanted to wash his hands of the issue.
The cash-strapped HI immediately sent a mail to the sports ministry requesting it to “announce a suitable reward which will help in motivating and build up the morale of the team”.
In the letter to Maken, HI swallowed its pride as it admitted that the players had refused to accept their reward as they found it “very little in relation to their performance”.
Maken was forced to control the damage and douse the controversy which was raging since morning. The ministry then came up with the announcement of a reward in the evening. The money is being given under the ministry’s special awards scheme.
The media conference by Maken was among the many that the sports minister has had in recent times. While on Tuesday it was the happy occasion of receiving a triumphant team, on Wednesday it was a desperate attempt at regaining the confidence of India’s world of sport.
Maken and his team had surely missed the cue when it came to the touchy topic of rewarding success in a sport that may not be that popular among the masses but still strikes a chord with the media.
Wednesday’s drama reminded all of a similar money row last year, just months before the Commonwealth Games. The players had returned home after emerging joint winners in the Azlan Shah Cup. They want a handsome reward for their efforts and ended up getting it from the then Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Suresh Kalmadi.
Controversies are not new to hockey but the pressure on Maken was really high after the media highlighted the pittance that was being given to the players, made unfavourable comparisons to the Rs 10 lakh promised by Maharashtra government to forward Yuvraj Walmiki and the Rs 25 lakh announced by Badal.
In fact, the drama has started on Tuesday morning hours after the players landed in India to loud music and celebrations, and the word got around about HI’s plans.
The players were united in their opinion that the amount was an “insult” to their achievement. Skipper Rajpal Singh, who sought the team’s opinion, conveyed it to HI mandarins soon after. The players were offered the reward again during the felicitation ceremony on Tuesday evening but they rejected it.
“It is disappointing,” Rajpal said. “We ought to have been rewarded well. This is not the way to treat the national players. Such incentives will not only demotivate us, it will also deter youngsters from taking up hockey.”
Midfielder Gurbaz Singh was vocal in his criticism. “This is too small an award. If this continues, hockey will have no takers. Children would rather go for cricket or other sports,” he said.
One player said he would have earned twice the amount had he turned out for his employers. “I make around Rs 50,000 in allowances alone if I played the all-India tournaments for my employers. Who wants Rs 25,000 from Hockey India?” he asked.
“This is the reason why players have signed up for World Series Hockey. There is money in it and we need it for a secure future. Had Hockey India wanted to create a positive impression, they should have rewarded us well,” he added.
Former players too criticized the decision.
Olympian and former India captain Pargat Singh backed the players, saying: “The whole thing has been mishandled. We should not give such small amount to the players… that too at a public function. It is better not to give any money rather than give such a paltry sum. It is an insult to them,” Pargat said.