What happened during the World Cup last march is agonizingly repeating at the ongoing Commonwealth Games hockey venue, so as to claim ill-treatment to ball boys are common in this ‘Wealth Games’.

At the request of the Organizing Committee about 50 ball boys are invited to do the specific job. They come in the morning, wait for the turn to do the duty, and then remain in the complex whole day.

Daily at least four matches are held, sometimes like today, there are 8 matches also. We have matches on two pitches, some of them being played simultaneoulsy.

These ball boys, who are mostly budding hockey players, chose this job to be part of the game, and in the bargain witness some quality hockey.

But, alas, of all the people, these boys are put into lot of difficulty.

They are neither paid for nor respected

The worst is, they are not even allowed to witness the matches, the only allowance they got in the last World Cup is also denied.

What happens is, everybody here is ready to chase them away from wherever they manage to sit for a while.

At the top floor police do not allow them to sit. In the opposite stands, which are open, they are not allowed because they don’t have ticket, though they are ready to sit under the hot sun.

In the main gallery each portion is earmarked for somebody, like heritage and media, with no specific place for these about 50-60 boys.

The other day, a concerned official got a room, and had them seated, and the room is closed, and they could not see any matches except those for which they are allowed pick the balls.

After whole day, they are asked to go home without any transport facility, they rush to metro or bus stations, and reach home late in the night, and then have to be back on the stadium early in the morning.

It is really inhuman to treat youngsters this way. In many ways they are being exploited just because they are all hockey freaks.

On the opening day of the matches, they did not get anything for their stomach for many hours, till one concerned coach got them a drink.

“We are ready to face any difficulty, please don’t write about them, they will trouble us, please get us to see the matches” one of them requested this writer.

Its pity. We treat our own youngsters this way while million rupees are spent for the heck of spending