Indian Express: Except for cricket, we are forgetting our sport stars, says Dilip Tirkey

Dilip Tirkey speaks to The Indian Express.

By Abantika Ghosh

“Except for cricket, we are forgetting our sport stars,” Dilip Tirkey, former hockey captain and now BJD’s Rajya Sabha MP, said during Zero Hour while seeking the government’s help for the family of hockey legend Mohammad Shahid, who died in Gurgaon on Wednesday.

Do you really think hockey and other sports don’t get enough attention?
Most politicians in our country have a stake in cricket. People in the glamour world are involved in the game, so cricket gets a lot of eyeballs. The corporate sector too gives a lot of financial support. That is why things are better organised in cricket and that is the reason why it gets more spectators too.

What is it like to be a non-cricket sports star in India?
The prize money is never good enough unless you are playing cricket, tennis or golf. These days, you get rewarded for winning Olympic medals, world championships etc. That was not the case earlier. It was never financially rewarding…

Is hockey going through a revival?
Because of the Hockey League, people have started watching some hockey, recognising some players. Earlier, they would not even get to know when a match was happening, leave alone watch it.

Did you meet Md Shahid when he was ailing?
Unfortunately, I could not. I came to Delhi after his death yesterday. I did speak to his son… It is possible there was some delay in (Shahid’s) treatment. He had liver and kidney problems, maybe he did not get timely medical attention.

Are former and present hockey players planning to do something for the family?
Yes, we will certainly do something to support them. He was a hockey great and to think that his treatment may have been affected by financial considerations is sad.