Hockey strike opens some pursestrings: Rs 1 cr & 5 cr

The crisis in Indian hockey is over for now. Following assurances of financial support from team sponsors Sahara and a meeting with Indian Olympic Association (IOA) chief Suresh Kalmadi, the players have agreed to return to practice on Thursday.

Kalmadi promised that the cash incentives demanded by the players would be given within a week, and promised to set up a “Players Development Committee” to secure money for Indian hockey.

The players gave up their insistence on a written assurance, and agreed to get back to practice — on condition that the new Hockey India management that takes charge after the February 7 elections will look into their demand for a graded payment structure, and take a decision before the World Cup beginning in New Delhi February 28.

Kalmadi said Wednesday that meeting the players’ demands would require both short- and long-term planning. “The players will be given Rs 1crore within one week for their performances in 2009,” he said.
Team sources said the money was actually an advance from Sahara. “The next instalment of sponsorship money was to be released in April but has been given now to sort out the current problem. Nothing from this amount will go to the women’s or junior teams,” said the source.

Sahara’s head of corporate communications, Abhijit Sarkar, however, told The Indian Express that the details of the accounting was yet to be decided.

“As of now, Hockey India needed Rs 1 crore to pay the players, and that’s what we have given. Since we are contractually bound with the federation, we gave them a bank draft this evening, and this money is for the players. We will later sit with Hockey India officials and go through their books. Only then will we decide whether this will be part of the contract amount or exclusive of it,” Sarkar said.

Other Sahara officials said it was up to Hockey India to decide how it wanted to disburse the money. “Whether they give the whole amount to the senior men’s team or include the women’s team or the juniors is up to them. We do not interfere in their general working,” said an official.

The Players’ Development Committee will be chaired by the Hockey India president and include representatives from the IOA and four former players — Zafar Iqbal, Dhanraj Pillay, M P Ganesh and Ajitpal Singh.

“This committee will be in charge of securing funds from various sectors for the development of Indian hockey,” Kalmadi said. The graded payment structure, he said, was part of the “long-term plan”, on which the new elected body would decide.

“The demand for salaries is still being looked at. I have assured the players that the president of the next elected body will have to agree to this demand before coming into power,” Kalmadi said.

Striker Deepak Thakur said the players were happy. “We were not getting any concrete assurances from Hockey India. Now Mr Kalmadi has agreed that our demands are reasonable and promised us that our salary demand would be looked at by the new president before he comes to power, and would be met before the start of the World Cup.”

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, meanwhile, announced financial assistance of Rs 5 crore over two years for the team so they could participate in the World Cup “with zeal and without any worries”.

Secretary, Sports, Lalit Varma, said the “Chief Minister was very perturbed by the plight of the Indian hockey team, so as a goodwill gesture she decided to announce the financial assistance. The money will be released from the state exchequer today, and the cheque will be sent through a special messenger.”

Varma said “ no delegation (of players had) met her”; Mayawati had taken “suo motu action”.