Ranchi: Olympian Sylvanus Dung Dung on Friday joined ex-hockey ace Gurbux Singh in demanding equal status between cricketers and players of other games.
"We love all games, including cricket. But why this
discrimination when it comes to other games. Gurbux Singh
rightly pointed out government`s step-motherly attitude
towards hockey and other Olympic sports," Dung Dung told reporters.
Dung Dung, the member of the 1980 Moscow Olympic gold
medal winning Indian team, was reacting to the women`s hockey
team recently failing to catch a flight to Russia for the
women`s Champions Challenge following "mismanagement".
"The powers-that-be should not show antipathy towards
hockey players, the very game had first put India on the world
sporting map with its astounding eight gold medal winning
performance in the Olympics," noted Dung Dung.
"All players representing the country deserve
equal status, treatment and respect."
He expressed hope that such incidents like that happened
to women`s team do not repeat in future.
"We know what plight the girls had endured to return empty
handed (from Airport) without even getting an opportunity to
take the field," Dung Dung added.
Bureau Report
First Published: Friday, July 31, 2009, 18:05
