New Delhi, Jun 1: The Hockey Journalists
Association today urged Sports Minister Sunil Dutt to
urgently grant financial assistance to ailing hockey
Olympian Vivek Singh, who is fighting a grim battle
against cancer.

The scribes submitted a memorandum to Dutt at the
National Stadium here, where the minister had come to
wish the Indian players leaving for USA tonight,
asking him to help the player in his hour of crisis.

They also asked Dutt to help him through the
Nargis Dutt Cancer Foundation, set up in memory of
Dutt’s wife and legendary actress Nargis.

Vivek, an office superintendent with North
Eastern
Railway, was first diagnosed and treated for urinal
bladder cancer in 2000. But after a brief respite
doctors last year detected that cancer has spread to
other parts of his body including the lungs.

Dutt, a filmstar-turned-politician, suggested
staging of a charity show to pool money to help Vivek.

The 37-year-old centre half represented India in
the Seoul Olympics in 1988, Champions Trophy in
Germany in 1989, Lahore World Cup and the Beijing
Asian Games in 1990.

With lot of funds required for the player’s
treatment, former star forward Mohammed Shahid has
come forward to help him in arranging money for his
treatment.

Courtesy: PTI & Hindustan Times