Women hockey players ‘unhappy’ with their jobs
Nitish Sharma
Tribune News Service
Shahabad (Kurukshetra), July 8
Women’s hockey team captain Ritu Rani and another star player Rani Rampal, natives of Shahbad, are unhappy with their jobs given by the state government.
Ritu Rani is an inspector in the Haryana Police, while Rani Rampal is a senior clerk in the railways.
Both players lamented state government’s indifferent attitude towards players. “We have created a history. There were seven girls from Haryana in the hockey team and we have made the state proud, but there has been no appreciation from the state government,” Ritu Rani told The Tribune here today.
The team has booked a berth in the Rio Olympics.
“It is not befitting a sportsperson to be given a job in the police department. It will be good if we get jobs in departments related to our sports as we can deliver more in our area of interest,” Ritu Rani told The Tribune here today.
She said sportspersons should be appointed as coaches, District Sports Officers (DSOs) and Deputy Director (Sports).”
“After retirement, I will have to work in the police department — a different ball game for me. I cannot with my game after since the police do not have a hockey team,” Ritu Rani said.
Rani Rampal has been playing for the country for nine years, but the monthly salary she draws as a clerk in the railways has been demotivating. “The salary of Rs 13,000 is less in comparison to my achievements,” she said, adding “my family depends on me. My father still works and I don’t like this”.
To a query, she said: “Being sportspersons, we don’t have time to raise our voice for our rights. But the state and the Centre must know that what their players are doing and what they deserve.”
