Women’s team turn down ‘insulting’ offer

Calling the Rs 50,000 per player reward as “insulting”, the Indian women’s hockey team has rejected the incentive announced by Hockey India and decided to continue their silent protest.

The women’s team had decided to practice from Thursday wearing black armbands to demand incentives for their performances in 2009, when they won the Champions Challenge II in Kazan and finished second in the Asia Cup, qualifying for the World Cup. “We’re not satisfied with what they have announced. What we are asking for is equal treatment with the men’s team and we will continue our protest till then,” senior striker Mamta Kharab said.

Captain Surinder Kaur said they were informed about the cheques in the morning and were asked to stop talking to the media. “We have sent them the message that we will not accept these cheques. If the federation cannot provide for the team, the team will get together to help itself through the joint account we have opened,” she said.

Hockey India’s acting president Vidya Stokes had announced Rs 50,000 to each player in the morning as a “first installment,” adding that the sports ministry had been approached for another “Rs 1 lakh as reward for winning silver at the Asia Cup.”

But Surinder said, “We wanted to protest with the men but were assured by Hockey India that we will be treated at par with the men’s team for rewards. Our performance incentives come to around Rs 3 lakh per player and that’s what we want. We will not go on a strike, but will continue to wear black armbands as protest.”

The team management has also rallied behind the players. “If our performances vis-a-vis the facilities provided are considered, we have done better than the men. We had visa problems in Kazan, and our team to New Zealand was stranded in Bangkok for lack of proper travel documents — the staff had to make arrangements to ensure the girls reached New Zealand. Despite all this, we have regularly finished on the podium in major tournaments in the last two years,” said a team official.

Surinder said that the players’ joint account had received a lot of contributions and there were talks of more. “We are raising money for the girls who are in need, as we know we have to take care of ourselves,” she said.

The men’s team had gone on a flash strike last week to protest non-payment of dues and were given incentives amounting to around Rs 1 crore.

Ministry appeals to HC

The sports ministry appealed to the Delhi High Court on Thursday to replace GS Mandher with retired judge CK Mahajan as the returning officer for next month’s Hockey India elections and said it had the support of the International Hockey Federation (FIH).