Is this how we treat our sports heroes? Four members of the Rio Olympics 2016 Indian women's hockey team returning home were forced to sit on the floor of the train. Activists and Twitterati demand action
In what is a shameful indictment of the authorities, four members of the Rio Olympics 2016 Indian women's hockey team were made to sit on the floor while they were travelling from Ranchi to Rourkela on the Bokaro-Allepey Express train.
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The four players -- Deep Grace Ekka, Namita Toppo, Sunita Lakra and Lilima Minz from Odisha, who were members of the Indian women's hockey team at the just concluded summer Olympics, were made to sit on the floor of their bogey as their tickets were unconfirmed. This despite them being railway employees who don't require their tickets to be booked prior to commencement of the journey.
To make matters worse, this incident took place on a day that Indian Rio Olympic medallists Sakshi Malik, PV Sindhu, finallist Dipa Karmakar and badminton coach P. Gopichand with being rewarded with BMWs.
THIS IS THE INDIAN WOMEN'S HOCKEY TEAM RETURNING HOME FROM RIO
Let's give a warm welcome to our Women's #Hockey Team as they arrive home from #Rio2016! https://t.co/oQJ1sdXF4n pic.twitter.com/zDCPGMYV2J
— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) August 25, 2016
Activists have slammed the incident and called on Minister of State for Sports and Youth Affairs Vijay Goel to register a case of inhuman treatment, negligence and exploitation against railway officials.
Since they are railway employees and don’t need to buy train tickets, the TTE (travel ticket examiner) should have arranged seats for them.
Activists demand action
Woman activist Brinda Adige told a news agency, “These ‘Babus’ (officials) have no reason at all to be there, they have not contributed in anyway, neither in advising the team nor in seeing to the teams well being, and are travelling in business class, whereas they have made the players travel unreserved, some travelled sitting on the floor of their train.”
“How can this kind of injustice be tolerated? Why haven’t these officials been thrown out of the train?” she asked.
Nirmala Sawant, another activist, told the news agency, “I think this is very shameful for us as Indian citizens, and at the same time, Olympics participants bring pride to the nation.…it is quite depressing, and I think, the Railway Minister (Suresh Prabhu) should take immediate action so that this kind of injustice is not caused to any sportsperson.”
Indian Railways refutes report
Refuting the reports, the Indian Railways on Monday asserted that the travelling hockey players held no grudge against them.
"The news reports about Women's hockey team, after their return from Rio Olympics being forced to sit on the floor while they were travelling from Ranchi to Rourkela via Bokaro-Allepey Express train is completely false. Also the information that of the TTE asked them to sit on the floor of the bogey of the train is untrue," the statement said.
The Railway Ministry said the hockey players, on reaching the Ranchi airport went to the station and took the train without any information to the Indian Railways, who would be in a better position to make appropriate arrangements for the players.
"However, when the players boarded the train with unconfirmed tickets, the TTE took only 20 minutes to make seats available to them," the statement added.
The statement further added that the players hold no grudge against the Indian Railways and the same was communicated by them to the Indian Railways authorities.
"They also said that the players were in a hurry to meet their family members and hence preponed the plan which led to the confusion," said the statement.
TWITTERATI DEMAND PROBE AND A LITTLE RESPECT FOR OLYMPIANS
@narendramodi sir please take action on the treatment of women's hockey team! They are not asking for much... Just some respect!
— Siddhesh Padte (@sidmaster20) August 29, 2016
India #women's #Hockey team given sub standard facility in India #Shame. How will the sport flourish if they are given such treatment!
— Siddhesh Padte (@sidmaster20) August 29, 2016
@sureshpprabhu Best Olympics performers rewarded with luxury cars while women's hockey team couldn't even be provided with berth on a train
— Anil Bholla (@AnilBholla) August 29, 2016
(With Agency Inputs)
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