Country’s pride, harassed in Haryana

Gaurav Kanthwal

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 31

The whole country may be showering accolades on the hockey eves for qualifying for the Olympics after 36 years, but Haryana, the state from where seven players are in the team, chooses to victimise them in its own way.

Three girls from the national team have levelled charges of harassment against their home state association, Hockey Haryana. They claim that Hockey Haryana has been deliberately withholding their winners’ certificates from the 2011 National Games to harass them.

The certificate is a pre-requisite to apply for a government job and the state award — the Bhim Award.

“Twice I have applied for a state government job and the Bhim Award but on both occasions my application was rejected because I could not furnish the proof of my achievements,” said ace forward Rani Rampal.

The other two players, on the condition of anonymity, said that they had complained to Hockey India (HI) president Narinder Batra on more than one occasion but nothing has come out of it.

“The runners-up and the second runners-up have got their certificates. Some of the girls from the Haryana team have also got their certificates but when it comes to me, Hockey Haryana has all sorts of reasons. This is nothing but harassment,” added Rani Rampal.

Recounting one instance, a player said, “As the last date for filling the job application was nearing, I waited till 11.30 pm outside a hotel in New Delhi where an official was staying. Frustrated, I had to return empty-handed.”

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) organises the National Games and issues the certificates to Hockey India, which in turn passes them on to the state associations.

“We give certificates to the players as soon as we get them. No certificate of any player has been withheld by us. Those who are crying hoarse have already shifted to Punjab. We do not owe them anything,” Hockey Haryana secretary Sunil Malik said.

The three players, who are products of the Shahbad training centre, feel they are paying the price of petty politics and favouritism within the state ranks.

The players allege that Shahbad has been on the receiving end every time it has won the state championship. “The winners’ certificates are never issued to us,” a player said.

Sources said the Shahbad training centre has been systematically downgraded, with the hockey nursery and the academy shut down. The supply of equipment has been choked since 2012. Not a single hockey stick or a ball has come to the centre that has produced numerous international players.