Civil Aviation minister now rewards hockey players

New Delhi: After drawing flak for ignoring the hockey team's Asia Cup triumph while showering the cricket team with awards and promotions for winning the Twenty20 World Cup, Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel has on Wednesday decided to reward the hockey players as well.
"Members of the Asia Cup winning Indian hockey team from Air India family will be suitably rewarded," said Patel.
The cash and other rewards showered on cricketers by the state governments and associations had sparked off an unprecedented protest from the nation's top hockey players who decided to go on hunger strike, saying that they have been ignored after bringing the Asia Cup.
Patel had declared on Tuesday that six members of India's World Cup winning squad, who are employed with national carrier Air India, would be given out of turn promotion.
"Apart from this, all the 15 members of the winning squad and their family members will also be given additional free travel benefits for five years," Patel said.
Hockey coach Joaquim Carvalho criticised Patel's decision to give cash awards and out-of-turn promotion to cricketers in Air India and Indian Airlines, while hockey players in their payroll, who won the Asia Cup last month, received nothing.
26/09/07 PTI/Daily News & Analysis

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Categories: NACL Sep 2007