Step-motherly treatment given to the hockey team...... is that so???

Quite a few people have started complaining that a "step-motherly" treatment is given to hockey players... Their argument lies on the fact that awards of astronomical amounts have been announced for the cricket players who brought home the first T-20 world cup, whereas the hockey players who brought home the Nehru Cup were given awards in the multiples of meager thousands.

To a certain extent, their argument is definitely right. The various state governments have announced huge awards to various cricket players............ and where does the money come from.........our pockets.....the taxpayers money. The government is expected to behave sensibly, it should treat all sports equally on its part, the difference in the awards bestowed upon the players of both the sports should be equal. Governments cannot be partial in this regard and hence, the government should award the players of all the games (not just hockey & cricket) equally. The failure to do so on the governments part has already been brought to focus by the media, i.e. a lot of former athletes are forced to take up jobs like house-maids and sweepers to support their families, as a result of lack of support by the government. Encouragement to all in all the sports events is a duty of the government. If the attitude of government does not change we can forget about having another P.T.Usha who can win accolades for her country. The protest of the hockey players in this regard is definitely valid and should be taken seriously.

But, if they have reservations over the awards coming out of the BCCI's kitty bag, then they have missed the target by a whole mile! BCCI does not fill its money bags from tax-payers money. The money comes as a result of the sport and no one has the right to argue if it distributes a chunk of it amongst the players that cause the moneybags to be full to the brim in the first place. And the government has no role to play in this. The masses love the game of cricket and that is because of the nature of the game..........its not anyone's fault that other games are not loved so aggressively. The money earned by cricketers or BCCI is a result of a great demand and supply equation with the masses. If the players of any other sport 'demand' similar monetary benefits then it can't be provided. It is not a thing to be demanded. Unless the sport appeals to the masses, that kind of money will not make its way towards any federation of any sport.

The affection and money showered upon the cricketers is grossly because of the appeal of the game and the attraction of the masses towards it, and rationally there is nothing wrong with it. So, the appeal against the government is definitely a 'lbw' but, an appeal against the masses or the awards given out by any organization other than the government is a 'no ball'........

Ring a bell??? Agree with me? Disagree with me? Leave a comment.......

Author : Vj