Money meant for hockey players, not a fund: Chouhan

BANGALORE: Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Chouhan added a new twist to the women’s hockey imbroglio, making it clear to the Union sports ministry on Sunday that his government’s contribution of Rs 1 crore was meant for the players and not for the creation of a fund.

In a breakfast meeting with the hockey team at his residence in Bhopal, Chouhan expressed solidarity with the team by sporting a black armband and said he would check with the sports ministry what it intended to do with the money. “He told us that if the ministry insisted it was for the National Sports Development Fund, he would want the cheque back,” goalkeeper Dipika Murty told TOI.

Chouhan, who spontaneously offered Rs 1 crore to sports minister MS Gill on Friday, reportedly clarified that he had meant it to be distributed among the players. “He said he was taken aback when the ministry said the money would go to a fund.”

The CM also promised the girls that if the ministry did not hand over the money to them by January 28, he would give cheques of Rs 1 lakh each to the 41 probables as well as the coaches and support staff during a dinner that he is scheduled to host on the day.

Chouhan also revealed to the girls how he was forced to approach the ministry with the money after both Hockey India and Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi did not respond to his offer. “He said he had called both Hockey India and Kalmadi to say that the money was ready and that he was keen on taking care of our needs. Kalmadi, who had rushed to the Pune camp to hand over the cheques to the men’s hockey team recently once Sahara contributed Rs 1 crore, did not bother to reply. Hockey India too apparently did not care,” Dipika said.

The seniors in the team thanked the CM for his gesture and said that the money ought to be distributed equally among all the players and team officials. “That would come to Rs 2 lakh each for 50 of us. The seniors did not want graded payments because they realised that the juniors, some of them in dire need of funds, would get a negligible sum in the bargain.”

He also backed the team’s black armband protest against Hockey India – that entered the fourth day on Sunday – once the girls told him the reasons behind their decision.

“At one point of time, he urged us to end the protest as his government was ready to extend all financial help. But we told him that we had started it all not because we wanted the incentives but parity with their male counterparts and a deal that would secure women hockey’s future,” Dipika said. “This is like rakhi to me,” Chouhan remarked.