Payment and Incentives to Indian Hockey Team

We were watching attentively on CNN.IBN the most shameful treatment of our beloved 22 players of our Indian Hockey team in the presence of a battery of media, hockey federation officials and other rif-raf at the press conference for payment of unpaid salaries and incentives. They were trying to negotiate a flimsy deal with the players to get their own debating skills recognized, but not the interests of our lovable Indian Hockey Team which has done yeomans service at the Azlan Shah Tournament, the games in Canada and South America.


It broke my heart and brought tears to my eyes to see these wonderful Indian hockey players who win laurels for our great country being shabbily treated and well nigh humiliated at the press conference on unpaid salaries and promised incentives, being attacked by a pack of rabid dogs who don't know one end of a hockey stick from the other.

Let's not fool ourselves by thinking that hockey is an easy, soft-soft game where there are no risks involved and the players are never injured; no Siree it is as fast, furious and injury prone due to the speed and stamina required to sustain the game on that vicious surface - the astro-turf, which favours the European brand of hockey. This makes it almost as fast a game as Ice Hockey but without the padded gear worn by ice hockey players. Resultantly, most hockey matches turn out like the battles of yore where gladiators compete and fight their rivals, as has been witnessed previously at the Chandigarh hockey grounds in the past to our deep shame.

It is sickening to note that Cricket, the 'sissy', so called gentleman's game, which is actually a game of cowards because 'YOU HAVE TO HIT AND RUN' or you are done for, pays their players a fabulous amount. Why the stepmotherly treatment to the Indian hockey team players? This is one India, is it not? What will the aam aadmi fans think of this unfair favouritism?

So, it is my earnest desire that our people in the Federation realize that the Indian Hockey Team deserves more than the best we can give them. They have honest and genuine demands, which can be easily addressed and sorted out so that we can bring back home to India the ensuing World Cup, so that we can restore the pristine glory of bringing home accolades from the brotherhood of World Hockey playing nations as Dhyan Chand had done in the past.

Long Live Indian hockey and the Federation. We are sure you will work out an amicable settlement which will be agreeable to both parties .

JAI HIND TO HOCKEY IN INDIA FOREVER AND EVER.