By A Sports Correspondent BANGALORE: It would probably require another Mohinder Amarnath to highlight the paltry payments that India hockey players receive. There being no Players Association as in cricket, worth the name, the hockey stars of the country are left 10 fend for themselves and, under the circumstances have to accept the pittance that is handed out to them by the Indian Hockey Federation.

For a current Indian player, any amount ‘over a five figure one is, indeed a princely sum. Even a Pargat Singh generally reckoned to be the best player in the country at the moment, has to make do with such abominably poor payments, And to think that the Indian Test cricketers feel that a sum of Rs 10,000 per game is insufficient.

Food for thought

No doubt, cricket and hockey are poles apart as sports disciplines. But then, one can put forth a reasonable argument that the efforts that an individual player puts in either game are definitely comparable.

It probably takes as much effort to score a field goal in hockey as scoring a century in cricket. Also, the threat of physical injury is almost the same. For instance, if a seamer in cricket can maim a batsman, fatally or for life, the same is true with those three defenders who stand on the goal line during penalty comer sequence during which the ball often travels at speeds of 200 kmph.

There is no attempt to put these two vastly different games on par in terms of the manner in which they are played, but the disparity in rewards at any level in these two games is certainly food for thought.

Earlier this summer, when the Indian Hockey team took part in the Champions Trophy at Berlin and the Intercontinental Cup at Madison USA the players received ‘a mere 10 dollars per day per head as allowance. Worse still they invariably lost a dollar or two during conversion from dollar to Deutsche mark or from dollar to pound sterling. No extra allowance for laundry or food.

Bonus

The hockey players though provided with five star hospitality by the organizers like their cricketing brethren. But that’s about all, the hockey players do not receive separate payment for each of the game they play in a tournament.

During a hockey “Test” series, like the Indo-Pak affair last summer, the players received Rs 500 per head per game, apart from five star hospitality, But in between the games during the tour, the players had to do without any payment. Occasionally, the hockey players enjoy a windfall by hockey standards, that is, by way of “bonus” amount given them when they win an international tournament. For instance, each of the 16 players received Rs 5,000 from the federation for having won the tournament at Nairobi. About four years ago, the Federation doled out Rs 15,000 per player when India won tournaments at Dubai and Ipoh.

The break up was Rs 10,000 for the Ipoh triumph and Rs 5,000 for the Dubai success.

The payments are much worse at the national level. During a national championship (seniors), the host unit pays Rs 50 per players as a daily allowance. In most cases, the players are lodged in dingy dormitories with common toilets and they have to fork out from their pockets for meals, Rareiis the instance when the organizers meet all expenses. Additionally, the team is eligible for second class return fare for participation in the nationals, with about Rs 15 or Rs 20 thrown in as daily allowance during travel. Even a first class travel is considered a luxury, leave alone flying While one concedes that the payments have been hiked over the years, they are: still a pittance. Unlike majority of, Test cricketer a hockey star enjoys few privileges, or rather perks, for having attained the distinction of representing the country.

Endorsements for shaving cream or SO aps (leave alone suitings) or the like, are unheard of in hockey circles.

However, the one way out for making some small amounts on the side is to agree to use a particular brand of stick for which are rewarded financially by the players a top India manufacturer. For example, player (now retired) was reportedly paid Rs 50,000 by a Pakistani manufacturer for using his stick. But the less fortunate receive about Rs 10,000 at an average, plus a free supply of hockey sticks.

Sink or swim

There are fewer rewards for a player who represents a particular state in the national championship. Often he has to literally beg or borrow equipment. Occasionally a benevolent businessman would offer to supply colors and kit. Likewise, at the international level, a player cannot take for granted that he would receive an India blazer the minute he is chosen for the national side.

‘The lucky few ex-India players manage a benefit game or two to take care of their post retirement life. But for the rest, It is sink or swim situation. In the past, there had ‘been rumblings of discontentment in the higher echelons of hockey players, but nothing concrete emerged from these sporadic complaints.

However the day may not be too far off when the hockey players of the country finally unite into an association to claim and receive (hopefully) what is due to them.

Article extracted from this publication >>  December 15, 1989