After uproar, govt announces Rs 1.5 lakh award for victorious hockey team

To calm infuriated players who rejected Hockey India’s paltry prize of Rs 25,000 for winning the Asian Champions Trophy, an embarrassed Sports Minister, Ajay Maken, clarified on Wednesday that there was already a scheme in place by which each player would get Rs 1.5 lakh each.

Maken said: “Today, I have called all of you to clarify a small thing that I think has unnecessarily snowballed into a big controversy. There is a government scheme of the Sports Ministry, which provides for cash awards to various medal winners in international events. And this scheme is in existence even before I took over as Sports Minister. And, a number of times in Parliament, I have made a mention of this scheme,” Maken told media persons here.

Maken said the government has distributed Rs 48.14 crore in cash awards to different players who have won gold, silver or bronze in international events through this scheme

“And this 48.14 crore rupees does not include cricket,” he added.

Maken said there are four different categories under this scheme on the basis of which cash awards are given to different players

“The first is Asian and Commonwealth Games, then the Olympic Games, World Championship and the fourth one is Asian and Commonwealth Championship. Our hockey team, which has made all of us proud after winning the Asian Championship, falls under the fourth category,” said Maken.

Maken said the Indian hockey team has already won Rs 1.5 lakh each under this scheme.

“And for all these categories, we have different sets of awards. Like for the Olympic Games, an individual winning a gold medal gets Rs 50 lakh, and a team winning a gold medal gets Rs 25 lakh for each player. Similarly for Asian and Commonwealth Games, an individual winning a gold medal gets Rs 20 lakh, and anyone in the team gets Rs 10 lakh. Similarly for the World Championship, the individual gold medallist gets Rs 10 lakh and team individuals get Rs 5 lakh when the team wins,” Maken said.

The government of Punjab had earlier in the day announced a cash award of Rs 25 lakh for members of the victorious Indian hockey team.

The Indian hockey team had earlier rejected Hockey India’s cash reward, saying the paltry amount was not proper recognition of their achievement.

The players were offered the reward during a felicitation ceremony at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium last evening, but they outrightly rejected it. The team felt insulted on being offered the meagre cash reward.

India defeated Pakistan 4-2 in the Asian Champions Trophy finals on Sunday in Ordos, China.

In a tight corner after the victorious Indian hockey team rejected it’s cash reward, Hockey India requested Sports Minister Ajay Maken to “announce a suitable reward” for the national side’s triumph in the Asian Champions Trophy.

The national body’s secretary general Narinder Batra requested Maken to intervene.

“Hockey India had announced cash reward of Rs 25,000 for each player and official of the hockey team which won the first Asian Champions Trophy. The players have refused to accept this amount as they find it very little in relation to their performance,” Batra wrote in his letter to Maken.

“We approach your ministry through your Hon’ble goodself and request the ministry to announce a suitable reward for the players and officials which will help in motivating and build up the morale of the team.

“We very humbly request for favourable consideration of our request,” he added.

HI’s reward came in for sharp criticism from all quarters, with present and former

players terming the gesture as “unacceptable and shocking”.