New Delhi, Sep 18: The skipper of the victorious Indian hockey team Rajpal Singh has revealed that players do not even have shoes and are making do with sub-standard kits.
In an interview to Times of India, Rajpal Singh said: "It is there for everybody to see. Hockey players do not have shoes to wear. The kits that are provided to the team are substandard. There is a world of difference between cricketers and hockey players.
"We play for our country - don't we deserve respect? If you can't give respect, at least do not humiliate the players.
"The federation has failed to meet our expectations. This is not the way to treat the national players.
"The money should be better, not just for the motivation of the current crop of players, but also for the future generations who'd like to take up the national sport."
Asked how he and the players felt when Hockey India announced Rs 25,000 rewards for them which they outrightly rejected, Singh said:
"It is not a matter of money. By giving Rs 25,000, they ridiculed our achievement. A team of youngsters which overcomes all sorts of hurdles and goes on to win a prestigious tournament like this cannot be treated in such a way.
"Money apart, the attitude shown by officials has been one of contempt. It breaks the confidence of the team which looks upon Hockey India (HI) as a father figure.
" If our management treats us like this, how can you expect others to show respect to us? The whole team felt dejected and insulted to the core."
Q.: How much money did you want?
A.: We did not ask for money. It is the attitude that has not gone down well with the players. It was HI that decided the cash award. You can well imagine what the state of affairs of our national game is. If the government can make a policy on awards, why can't HI? Whatever we have been given in the past would have been okay with us even now.
Q: Do you think hockey has suffered because of mismanagement?
A: I do not want to comment on it. One can see for oneself what has been happening with our national sport for quite sometime now. Like the BCCI runs cricket in India, the Hockey Federation too needs to run the game in a professional manner for the welfare of players.
Q: Is it also an issue of the money cricket attracts and hockey does not?
A: There is no comparison between cricket and hockey when it comes to money. The way cricket is managed is far more professional than hockey. That is where the federation has to play a role.
Q: Australian physiologist David John has complained about the poor fitness levels of the Indian hockey players. What are you doing to change that?
A: Fitness is an issue that can't be addressed overnight. Everybody in the team is working hard on fitness and the players have improved a lot. Fitness plays a very big role in the success of the team. Every player in the team knows that and we are working on it continuously. The results are showing but there is still a lot more to be achieved to be the best team in the world.
On the shifting of Champions Trophy from India, Rajpal Singh said:
"It will be a problem for us to qualify for the London Olympics after India lost the hosting rights for Champions Trophy.
"The Champions Trophy is meant for the top eight hockey nations and India's current position is ninth. If the tournament had been organized in India, we would have had the advantage of playing at home. Also, being the hosts, it would have automatically given us an entry into the tournament.
"We have missed a chance to qualify for the Olympics."
Rajpal Singh revealed he was set to marry shooter Avneet Kaur Sidhu by the year-end. "She is keen about the team doing well in Olympics. I am also trying to cultivate interest in shooting. Apart from that, there are many things we talk about."
