The country may be proud of the women hockey players who qualified for Olympics but the players are being victimised by the Hockey association.
Three girls from the national Hockey team have accused the home association, Hockey Haryana, of harassment.
( Also Read: After wait of 35 years, Indian women’s hockey team qualifies for Rio Olympics)
They claim that Hockey Haryana has deliberately withheld the winners’ certificates of 2011 National Games. The certificate is a pre-requisite to apply for a government job and Haryana’s prestigious Bhim Award.
Ace forward Rani Rampal said, “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.”
“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.
The other two players maintaining anonymity said that they had complained to Hockey India President Narinder Batra on several occasions but nothing had been done to address their grievances.
One of them was quoted by Chandigarh Tribune newspaper as saying, “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.”
Hockey Haryana secretary Sunil Malik said, “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.”
Last week, Indian women hockey team had created history by qualifying for next year’s Rio Olympics after a gap of 35 years.
