Shabby treatment towards former players pains Aslam

BHOPAL: Pained by the “shabby treatment” meted out to former hockey players, Olympian Aslam Sher Khan said those who have represented the country in the past should be given free passes for this month’s World Cup in New Delhi to honour their contribution to the game.

“I am extremely pained that many hockey players who had in the past, helped the country win medals at various levels, were being denied passes for the World Cup and they would have to pay money to buy tickets for watching these matches,” Aslam said.

Aslam himself has, however, got the World Cup passes as he was a member of the Indian Hockey team that had won the World Cup in 1975 in Kuala Lampur.

“As the World Cup is sponsored by Hero Honda, the family members of those working with the company are getting free passes,” Aslam said adding a similar facility is being extended to family members of office-bearers of the Indian Olympic Association.

He said the contribution of India’s former players should be acknowledged in whatever way possible.

“There was a strong need to honour those people who had brought glory to the country from the Asiad to the World Cup and Olympic,” Aslam added.