Mumbai hockey team squeezes into train pantry to get home

Indiarsquos cherished Olympic aspirations for hockey are likely to remain a pipe dream if the treatment meted to the Under19 Mumbai National Team for the sport is anything to go by Returning on Friday after a gruelling stint at the Junior National Championships in Sonepat Haryana 15 players were forced to travel with unreserved tickets as the Mumbai Hockey Association MHA had not booked their berths on the train The team finally reached Mumbai after an arduous 18hour train journey PicsDatta Kumbhar In course of the 18hourlong ordeal the members of the team already exhausted from the matches had to stand for hours Shunted from one part of the train to another they had to squeeze into the pantry car and subsequently station themselves near the reeking train toilets Meanwhile their coach returned via flight while their manager wangled a sleeper berth for himself The team boarded the train to return home after participating in the Junior National Championships in which they played three matches held on June 3 4 and 6 The team won a match and lost two Nowhere to go Since they did not have access to accommodation the team decided against staying back and trying for tickets in a later train Most of the players couldnrsquot afford to pay for a hotel stay Moreover they were given no guarantee that theyrsquod get seats on another train Left with no other option the athletes decided to rough it out in the unreserved compartment of Paschim Express Though food was provided to them sleep was a luxury they could ill afford The teamrsquos manager Cornell Fernandes paid a Rs 1500 fine and wangled a berth to sleep on But he couldnrsquot afford to do the same for every player in his team Anup Valmiki 18 the team captain said ldquoIrsquove travelled for six or seven hockey camps but this was the worst ordeal we suffered There wasnrsquot even enough place to stand in the general compartment We met the TC and he promised hersquod try and arrange seats for us By evening we were made to sit in the pantry car At 10 pm the pantry workers shuttered the coach and told us to leave Most of the players were scattered all over the train We later moved near the toilets of the AC sleeper coach but the AC attendant chased us offrdquo Team member Moses Pullanthara 17 said that he didnrsquot get a wink of sleep all night Vinay Anuprsquos 16yearold younger brother said ldquoI didnrsquot sleep a wink The whole team was standing outside the toilets Five boys were in S1 five in S2 and five in S5 Now that Irsquom home Irsquom going to sleeprdquo he said on the phone from his home in Churchgate Vinayrsquos teammate Moses Pullanthara 17 chimed in ldquoIt was bad We couldnrsquot sleep all nightrdquo The cramped pantry car of the train where the TC gave temporary accommodation to the tired homebound players PicsDatta Kumbhar A fellow passenger who did not wish to be named said ldquoThe condition in which these boys travelled was terrible A few of them had to sleep in the pantry and some near the toilet We took pity on them and let them sleep on some unoccupied bunks for a while Irsquom surprised at the treatment given to a national teamrdquo Same old story Cornell Fernandes the teamrsquos manager said ldquoThe MHA did not book our tickets for the return journey so we had to board the train using unreserved compartment tickets I too didnrsquot have a reserved ticket but after paying the Rs 1500 fine I got a berth to sleep in Obviously I couldnrsquot afford to pay for a berth for each player Irsquove been playing hockey for 15 years and little has changed since then This is the state of the sportrdquo Significantly team coach Alex DrsquoSouza returned to Mumbai via a flight from Delhi ldquoOur tickets were waitlisted as it is the peak season We tried to get tickets at the station but the train was full We requested MHA to arrange for VIP tickets and I too tried to arrange for tickets but to no avail I was travelling with the team but had to get off at Delhi as my mother was ill I then took a flight Things havenrsquot changed in over 20 years When I used to play at the national level the situation was the same We would sleep in the gangways and near the toiletsrdquo The other side Speaking to MiD DAY president of the MHA Mangha Singh Bakshi said ldquoWe had purchased tickets for their trip from Mumbai but I donrsquot know whether they were confirmed Perhaps they did not get tickets due to the holidays I donrsquot know the status of the return tickets so I cannot comment on thatrdquo