CHENNAI: Irked by the "step-motherly treatment" meted out to the Indian hockey players by the central and four state governments, when compared to the sops given to cricketers after their win in the Twenty20 World Cup, the team members have decided to go on a 'hunger strike'.
National Chief Coach, Joaquim Carvalho strongly objected to the announcement of cash awards by the Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel and the state governments of
Championship early this month.
"Why our hockey players are orphaned and why our politicians are biased towards Hockey, the national game?", Carvalho asked.
However, "we are grateful ever to the President of India for her sending individual letters congratulating the hockey players for their
He declared that one coach and four players have planned to go on hunger strike before the Karnataka Chief Minister's house for his announcing Rs five lakh each to the members of the cricket team, while "treating the State hockey players like dust".
Carvalho said "Karnataka CM has not till date congratulated his State hockey players for the Asia Cup win".
"Coach, Ramesh Parameswaran, manager R K Shetty and four players (Vikram Kanth, V R Rahunath, S V Sunil and Ignace Tirkey, who was recently adjudged for the Ekalaywa Award by the Karnataka Government) are to go on hunger strike before the Karnataka Chief Minister's house', he said.
Carvalho said: "when K P S Gill announced Rs 1000 as bonus for every goal that was scored, many people in authority, including a few politicians made a hue and cry and ridiculed the (Indian Hockey) Federation".
"In fact, there is a competition going on between politicians and state governments in announcing cash prizes galore for cricketers", Carvalho said.
But "when hockey is the national game and when we have won a big tournament like the Asia Cup, why have these governments and politicians not recognised our triumph and instead are showing bias?", he asked Stating that he and the entire hockey team had congratulated Mahindra Singh Dhoni for his
World Cup win, he said: "I am not against cricket or cricket players".
"Every sportsperson need to be recognized. The cricket players deserve the cash awards, no doubt, but aren't the Hockey players deserving to be treated in the same manner".
As for Punjab and Haryana Governments' cash awards to cricketers, Carvalho wanted to know whether these governments show same 'gratitude' to its hockey players - Sardar Singh, Baljit Singh, Gurbaj Singh, Shivendra Singh and Rajpal Singh.
On the Civil Aviation Minister's decision to give cash awards and out-of-turn promotion to cricketers in Air India and Indian Airlines, Carvalho wondered whether the Minister knew that these organisations has hockey players in their pay rolls.
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