Hockey: India minister announces increased reward
India’s Sports Minister Ajay Maken announced a cash reward of INR150,000 for each player after the country’s hockey team rejected the original amount of INR25,000 for their recent win in the first Asian Champions Trophy.
The team, which had termed the reward too little and an inadequate recognition of their achievement, rejected it at a felicitation function organised by Hockey India. However, their grievance was heard by the minister who announced the increased amount after the national team beat Pakistan on penalty shootouts in the final.
“We refused it because it’s a very small reward,” said a senior player Gurbaz Singh. “We did not expect such a small amount, considering hockey is our national game. If such things continue, there will be a day when there will be very few kids interested. They would rather opt for cricket or any other sport.”
Published in The Express Tribune, September 15th, 2011.
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This crazy pursuit of percentages in schools must be stopped - witness the ridiculous 100% cut-off percentage witnessed in Delhi University. 1/3 weightage must be given to sports achievement, 1/3 for projects related to liberalism/honesty/secularism/democracy - related topics and only 1/3 for pure academics at the School Level.
@Paras Vikmani: These Rs. 25,000 or Rs. 150,000 came from the government/ tax-payer's money where as the Rs. 2 crores came from BCCI which is not government. BCCI only parted a fraction of the money it made from the business of cricket. Comparing these two will be wrong. . Having said that, there is not denial that hockey and other sports need better treatment and respect. These are not supported by clubs/ private money so the government should step in. India today is in the position to reward not only the winners handsomely but also provide stipend or pay to sportsmen. There is also a need to push for sports culture in India. . Under the watchful eyes of a regulator, private parties should be encouraged to promote sports which may be in lines of BCCI.
I wonder why Hockey is being treated as lesser sport when in reality it is actually our National Sport.
Cricket team got Rs.2crore for WC win and Hockey players got Rs.25,000!