The players of Indian Hockey team and coach have felt cheated because of the step-motherly treatment they received from the government of India, state governments, corporate India and the Indian media as well. They raised their voice against the government’s decision to give the huge amount of prize money to cricket players for winning the world cup.

They felt cheated when they compared the sops given to cricketers by the governments of Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand and Karnataka and what they got after winning the Asia cup. The team members of Indian Hockey team have now decided to go on a ‘hunger strike’ to stage protests against the step-motherly treatment with the players of India’s national game, Hockey.

Chief Coach of national Hockey team, Joaquim Carvalho, reacted strongly against the announcement of cash awards by the Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel. He also raised his fingers towards the state governments of Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand and Karnataka for announcing the prize money for the cricketers.

He said that the state governments completely ignored the victory of Indian hockey team in the Asian Continental Championship early this month. In this championship, Indian team had defeated all the opponents and won the trophy by scoring more than 50 goals in the tournament. Carvalho said that the boys had done a splendid job but got almost nothing from the government.

He asked:

Why our hockey players are orphaned and why our politicians are biased towards Hockey, the national game. We are grateful ever to the President of India for her sending individual letters congratulating the hockey players for their Asia cup win, without losing a match.

The coach of national Hockey team declared before media that one coach and four players of Indian Hockey team have decided to go on hunger strike before the Karnataka Chief Minister’s house. Karnataka’ CM had announced Rs five lakh each to the members of the cricket team for winning the Twenty20 world cup.

Carvalho said:

The Karnataka CM treated the state hockey players like dust. He 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 would go on hunger strike before the Karnataka CM’s house.

Ignace Tirkey was recently selected to give the Ekalaywa Award by the Karnataka Government.

Read