Day 11.Every sportsman deserves the highest amount of remuneration as he works so hard for a short period of time. I think so, maybe you also, but our 'Game Regulators' don't. I'll just give the background for the reasons of my shoot-blog tonight for your better understanding. For those of you who were under a cave since last night, the Indian Hockey Team returned home victorious from China, after defeating their arch rivals Pakistan in the final via shoot-out and winning the Asian Champions Trophy. The drama begins when they returned back to India basking in the glory of success, unaware of the 'surprising and shocking' welcome by our Sport Bodies.
They were given by Hockey India (HI) a "whopping" prize money of 25,0000000 rupees, I'm not good with zeroes in my math. I think its Rs. 25,000 or Twenty Five Thousand Rupees. Yes, that's better.
It is like a token gesture. It is not good. India's National Game shamed again. I think, HI should have called companies, manage some good award money. 25,000 rupees is nothing. It's like giving prize money to some Government School (no offence) kids or college level (again no offence) players.
No one gives to two cents to our Hockey Players, no one gives them the publicity, the respect, they deserve. The Government doesn't support them. I wonder if the world's greatest field Hockey player "Major Dhyanchand" were alive, what would his reaction have been. It would have been much better if no money was given to these so-called "winners".
Our Sports Minister, Mr. Ajay Maken just gave some statements this afternoon and I'll just quote them to you -
- The foreign tours of our Hockey Team are on Government's expenses.
- The Government of India has paid Rs 6 crore (approx.) for Hockey. On coaching alone, about Rs 5.97 crore have been spent.
- Corporates need to come forward and adopt the game.
- Government has a scheme which awards cash rewards to the players.
- Under this scheme, every player gets Rs 1.5 lac each.
- It was ridiculous to have announced the prize of Rs 25,000.
Believe me, these unsung heroes must be feeling demotivated and humiliated. They would be feeling as though 25,000 is pittance in front of their achievements.
And, as I am writing this I can see the news flash on my TV that shows the "kindness" of our State Governments,who finally woke up to appease the players. The Punjab Government has announced Rs 25 lacs as prize money for Indian Hockey Team. If a cricketer would have won, I am sure he would have got a Flat in one of the finest places in Punjab. Anyways, moving on, the Deputy CM Prakash Singh Badal has asked Center to apologize to the Hockey Team. Now, over to Maharashtra, whose Government is also announcing Rs 10 lac to Yuvraj Valmiki, who is from Maharashtra. They are also willing to give him a job.
I think it makes no sense to pay Rs 2 crore to a cricketer and Rs 1.5 lac to a Hockey Champion as a reward. There is also a moral responsibility of the BCCI. The BCCI can earn a lot of goodwill if they offer financial help to hockey which they deserve.
Lastly, I feel its a very sad day for Indian Sports. I feel very sad when athletes from all disciplines are ignored like that and glory is the crown of one sport. The onus falls in the lap of Ministers. Get things straight, before its too late.
Thanks for Reading and any feedbacks are most welcome.
Thought Of The Day : - "Right Is Right If No One Is Doing It and Wrong Is Wrong Even If Everyone Is Doing It."
Hasta la Vista
(ref; google images)
@ Ahmad- u have raised a very relevant point in this article...cricketers are paid in crores when they win a cup which incorporates the teams like Ireland and Kenya to take the figure of participating country to a double digit.you can easily imagine the magnitude of a world cup in which no qualification process is needed to enter..and on the other hand a much popular game like hockey which is popular in around 150 countries is placed subordinate to a game which is popular in only 3-4 countries[mind it,cricket is not the most popular sport in England,Australia and even South Africa,it is loved madly only in the Indian subcontinent].I am not against any sport but they should be developed simultaneously and with the same intensity...Hockey Champions deserves the much higher reward then what they are getting now...How could u expect from those players to play from their hearts whom even basic necessities are not fulfilled???How can u expect them to win a Gold in Olympics???
ReplyDelete@Anurag. Agree with you thoroughly that until and unless good basic facilities are provided to our Hockey players, to expect gold from them would be hypocricy. Even the rent for our cricketers' hotel room is more than 25,000 per day, and HI is giving hockey players 25,000 rupees, which is totally ridiculous. But, I would like to know from you, ideas to mitigate this problem.
ReplyDelete@ Ahmad- To mitigate this problem is a difficult task but what ill be telling are just some conventional answers...corporate houses should rather they must come forward to invest in the game....Hockey should be made more popular by extensive media coverage,i hope our media fraternity will understand this and will facilitate in spreading hockey to every nook and corner of this country...what else from ur side???
ReplyDelete@Anurag,i love counterquestions.LOL.The conventional points you mentioned brother, have already been made by me in the above blog. Although for your better knowledge I feel somer other steps can be taken. Like we've got to have a holistic attitude to get public interest. Second thing, making hockey part of the priority rather than general, by government can be very useful. For more understanding and my viws, please read the other posted and upcoming part on this topic.
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