 "Hockey
is the national game and when we have won a big tournament like Asia
Cup, why don’t the governments and politicians recognise our triumph?
—
Joaquim Carvalho,
national coach |
|
‘We
got peanuts’
 Our
team won the Asia Cup by defeating a formidable rival in a convincing
manner. This was no small achievement and despite our team’s efforts
what did they get in return, just peanuts.
— Gagan Ajit,
ex-captain |
|
I am not aware of it: Gill
 “No...no,
how can I comment on an issue about which I myself is not sure. So what
if somebody has reported the issue quoting the chief coach. I am not
aware of it... let me find it out,”
IHF president K.P.S. Gill said. |
|
Quick Reaction
Members of Asia Cup from Air India family will be suitably rewarded.
— Praful Patel, minister for civil aviation
Karnataka announces award
Bangalore:
The Karnataka government tonight announced Rs 2 lakh
cash reward each to four hockey players and a coach
from the state who were part of the Asia Cup winning
Indian team — Vikram Kanth, V. Raghunath, S.V. Sunil
and Ignace Tirkey and coach Ramesh Parameswaran. |
Bangalore, September 26
When the entire country is celebrating the victory of the “men in blue”, four Indian hockey team players from Karnataka and their coach and manager are set to strike at the conscience of fellow Indians at the treatment given to the country’s national game by holding a hunger strike in front of the residence of the Karnataka Chief Minister here.
And the man who has started the debate which may yet become a “chak-de” moment is none other than the Indian national team hockey coach Joaquim Carvalho. The coach, while talking to mediapersons here, set the tone for introspection as to the treatment given to the hockey team after their victorious Asia Cup campaign vis-à-vis the feting of the Indian cricket team today after their Twenty 20 World Cup win.
Carvalho while talking to newsmen here said four players of the national team from Karnataka — V.R. Raghunath, Ignace Tirkey, Vikram Kanth and S.V. Sunil and their coach Ramesh Parmeshwaram and manager R.K. Shetty had come up to him and asked for permission to hold a hunger strike in front of the residence of the state Chief Minister to protest against the “step-motherly” treatment given to hockey. He said
he was making the fact open through the media so as to give time to the Karnataka Government to react to the situation.
Coach Parmeshwaram while talking to TNS, said any protest could only take place after holding talks with Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy.
“We will talk to him and apprise him about our sentiments”, he said adding “I am sure he will look into our grievances”. The Chief Minister’s Secretariat is yet to come out with a statement on the grievances of the players of the state.
Carvalho clearly indicated what the grievances were. The quick announcements by various state governments including Karnataka, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Haryana who are vying with each other to honour the cricket players from their states. “The Karnataka Chief Minister has announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for Robin Uthappa and bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad. However, he has not even congratulated the players from his state who brought laurels for the country by winning the Asia Cup”.
He said other state governments also did not even think of honouring the members of the victorious Asia Cup team what of announcing monetary awards for them.
The Indian coach also did not spare civil aviation minister Praful Patel who has announced out-of-turn promotions for all Indian Airlines players in the cricket team. He said there were six players from IA in the national hockey team but no thought was given to rewarding them in a similar way. He said the reaction of both the state governments as well as IA proved that politicians were biased against the national game.
Carvalho said the hockey players were only asking for their share of recognition and said he was grateful to the President who had sent individual letters of congratulation to the players after their Asia Cup win.
