Hockey India's offer of Rs 25,000 per player to resume training is far less than what a sweeper earns annually in Pune where the team is based now. this has left Spaniard coach Brasa livid

This is something that Shah Rukh Khan, who played the role of Kabir Khan in Chak De! India would find hard to digest: The Indian hockey players who are trying to bring glory to the country in the World Cup (February-March) are being offered a pay packetu00a0 which is less than what a sweeper, who cleans the roads earns.

This does not come from the players, who are revolting against the Hockey India officials, but from their Spaniard coach Jose Brasa. "The Indian hockey players are treated worse than those who sweep the floor andu00a0 roads. They must be drawing better monthly salaries than what is being offered to the hockey players. I think they deserve a much better deal," Brasa told MiD DAY.

India's hockey players have been demanding a fixed salary, something they don't get and a performance-related incentive for winning tournaments.

Brasa said Hockey India offered them this salary when a delegation of players went to Delhi to discuss things with officials. Each player was offered Rs 25,000 per annum as salary to end the strike. This works out to less than Rs 2500 a month.

Brasa's right
A sweeper at the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) for instance, gets around Rs 6000 per month according to Shivaji Daundkar, PMC'su00a0 Establishment Officer.

"If this is what they are offered, how do you expect them to react," Brasa asked.

The players who are used to getting advance payments for tournaments have been demanding their dues for the Champions Challenge where they finished third as well as looking at the prospect of getting regular salaries.
The disgruntled national hockey players continued their indefinite boycott of the World Cup preparatory camp yesterday to protest the non-payment of dues and incentives. Instead of training, they preferred to remain in their hotel rooms.

Demands
The squad, demanding incentives for their performance last year, had decided to go on strike despite reaching an agreement with Hockey India officials in New Delhi just a day before.

Maharashtra Hockey Association secretary Ikram Khan said: "It is true that the players deserve a better deal. But they are blowing things out of proportion and it is not good at a time when the World Cup, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games are close at hand."

Defiant
Senior forward Prabhjot Singh, who has been appointed by his teammates as their representative, said they will not train till the issue is resolved and the boys are satisfied.

With less than 50 days to go for the World Cup, and with the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games scheduled this year, the revolt by players in Pune is the third successive setback for the game at a crucial time