Team begins national championship campaign in Punjab against Manipur today
MARGAO
Bharat Gaonkar, a first-year student at Government College Quepem, has had a hectic few weeks balancing academics and sports. He has been burning the midnight oil to prepare for his internal semester exams and, after completing them, returns home to grab his hockey kit. He then embarks on a 55-kilometer journey involving four bus changes to reach Peddem Mapusa — all for his love of hockey and a brighter future.
Bharat is among many determined young players from Gudi Paroda village in South Goa, including Krish, Suhel, and Saheel Gaonkar, who took the train to Punjab as part of the Goans Hockey Junior team. This is Bharat’s third tournament in 15 months, following competitions in Rourkela, Odisha, and Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh.
Bharat, Krish, Suhel and Saheel parents are children of daily wage workers or coming from families which are into farming.
So, travelling from Paroda to Mapusa for the last few weeks has been a challenge to these quartet.
With no transport provided for the South Goa players they had to fend for themselves. That is not all.
“All that Bharat has got are certificates, two pairs of shirts, shorts and one-track suit, no travel allowance (TA) or DA for the last two championships and no money for the practice sessions,” lamented one of Santosh Gaonkar, a youth from the village.
The Goans Hockey is not giving any remuneration to these boys... And it’s very difficult for them to regularly go to Peddem from Gudi by spending from their pockets. So that’s the main reason why most of the Gudi boys did not go for selection. Those who could bear the amount of transportation went to Peddem for practice,” the parent of one of the boys who did not attend the practice session told The Goan.
Many players from South Goa dropped out for lack of funds to travel to practice to Peddem and parents warned that more will drop out if Goans Hockey continue not to pay these children.
“Children spend so much to travel to come for practice, give them their money, next time, they won’t come (for selections),” the parent added.
“All are not from rich families, we are mostly daily wage workers or they are children of small-time farmers,” he added.
“Every year children are playing for free, students should get something,” added another parent.
The Paroda boys are not the only ones from South Goa players but also the rest of the players from North Goa, coaches, officials have not got anything as TA and DA from the last two championships.
The Gudi Paroda’s hockey movement is centered around two dedicated Physical Education teachers Amit Dessai and Laxman Prabhudessai who are going beyond the call of duty, and according to some accounts putting in their own money for the sake of the players and hockey, the game they love the most.
Meanwhile hockey officials from North Goa, who are part of the executive committee of Goans Hockey informed that Goan Hockey “take the boys signature and then show it to the government and claim the money, I do not know why Sports Authority of Goa has not cleared the bills.”
He confirmed that the children’s signatures have been taken on blank papers.
“These players also won’t get anything. Just play, take the certificate and come home,” rued another parent.
A top official of Goans Hockey confirmed that “the players have not been paid any TA and DA as Goans Hockey was sending the team from their own expenses as SAG has not been giving them grants, the grants are pending with SAG.”
“All that they got for representing Goa at the nationals (junior, sub juniors) two shirts and pants, one track suit and a certificate,” added another parent.
“I am still not able to understand as to why the children are not getting their TA and DA for the last one year. The player’s signatures have been taken on the blank paper sheets saying that allowances have been paid but no money has been paid since last year,” questioned another.
The Goan team will be seen in action in the Hockey India national championship and play their first match against Manipur (September 9), followed by matches against Hockey Maharashtra and Himachal Hockey.
What hockey officials have to say…
* Hockey India provides all the players and coaches with accommodation and food during the National championship
* Travel and food from place of home to place of nationals has to be borne by the participating teams (associations)
* Coaches in government organisation are paid special TA and DA for the travel and stay for the duration of the tournament. If they are claiming from the Association also it’s not proper
* For any Nationals the participating teams are required to bear the travel and food expenses during their travel from their home state to nationals and back
* Teams are not to bear any expenses for the duration of the tournament which is provided for by the host associations for which Hockey India provides the money
* Taking signatures of players having received money is totally a corrupt practice without providing the allowances
