Assured of a place in the 2010 World Cup after their superb show at the Asia Cup, the Indian women’s hockey team expressed their displeasure at not having being paid their daily allowance for the second international tournament in a row. The team here alleged that the administrators were focusing only on men’s hockey and ignoring the women.

“We have fared well in two tournaments (the Kazan Champions Challenge and Asia Cup) successively without daily allowances from the federation. But at the same time, the men are getting their allowances,” a senior member of the team said on conditions of anonymity.

The sports federations pay a daily allowance of $35 to touring teams, but the players here claim that while allowances of those working with the Railways were coming from their employers, the jobless were not getting anything. “Most of us are satisfied with what our employer Railways pays on tours. But there are unemployed players in the team and they need to be paid, but they have got nothing so far,” said another player.

From the team that competed here, Rani Ramphal, Monika Badran, Ritu Rani and Savita Punnia are yet to get jobs as they are under-age.

Incidentally, 17-year-old Rani scored half a dozen goals against Thailand and the winner in the semifinal against Korea.

“They are interested only in men’s hockey,” a player said curtly.

The player said women’s hockey was not getting the attention it deserved.

“A top brand in sports goods company wanted to sponsor our kit but the authorities in Hockey India took it casually and did not even bother to respond to the proposals,” she revealed.

Most of the girls had to do with their old kits for the Asia Cup.
Travelling kit was not given to 12 players here and the six girls who joined the team from the junior ranks had to make do with the ones they got for Junior World Cup.