02-09-2004, 04:55 PM
I deeply apologize for three straight posts in a row, but i want to share the letter i sent to the Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Vikram Verma and the Deputy Minister for Sports Vijay Goel about the recent mistreatment of our Womens' Hockey team.
_________________________________________________________________
Dear Mr. Verma,
Although being absent from the world sports scene, I would consider Indian sportspersons to be the greatest achievers of all. Why? Because they manage to shine despite their own people trying to pull them down all the time.
This email is to complain about the extremely shabby treatment meted out to the National Womens' Hockey team in the recently concluded Asia Cup, which our girls won despite all the hardships. By putting them up in the dorms of the Nehru Stadium, while the other teams stayed in hotels goes a long way to show the attitude of Indian officials towards their own team. Six girls in one dorm room? I wish someone grows the guts to sue you and your ministry for the indignity. I would have, had i not been in college and a nobody.
Once the Asia Cup was won, your officials went into overdrive to share the limelight, scrambling for space on the podium. For once, let the girls bask in the light they so rightly deserve.
Mr. Goel, you were there too, weren't you? I hope the photo-op went well for you. But trust me Sir, unless you start taking better care of our sportpersons, you won't get many opportunities as this. Perhaps you can start by appointing people who really care. I wouldn't expect elite wives to be overly concerned about being positive and caring, but a retired athlete who has been through the same chaos and apathy will know, and do, better.
I am proud of the Hockey team for the glory and pride they have filled me with, and I cannot say if you all feel the same way. I have to say that the longer Indian sports remains with the polity and bureaucracy, the longer it will remain absent from the world sports scene.
Regards.
<!--emo&:furious--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/furious.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='furious.gif' /><!--endemo--> what do netas know about sports.
_________________________________________________________________
Dear Mr. Verma,
Although being absent from the world sports scene, I would consider Indian sportspersons to be the greatest achievers of all. Why? Because they manage to shine despite their own people trying to pull them down all the time.
This email is to complain about the extremely shabby treatment meted out to the National Womens' Hockey team in the recently concluded Asia Cup, which our girls won despite all the hardships. By putting them up in the dorms of the Nehru Stadium, while the other teams stayed in hotels goes a long way to show the attitude of Indian officials towards their own team. Six girls in one dorm room? I wish someone grows the guts to sue you and your ministry for the indignity. I would have, had i not been in college and a nobody.
Once the Asia Cup was won, your officials went into overdrive to share the limelight, scrambling for space on the podium. For once, let the girls bask in the light they so rightly deserve.
Mr. Goel, you were there too, weren't you? I hope the photo-op went well for you. But trust me Sir, unless you start taking better care of our sportpersons, you won't get many opportunities as this. Perhaps you can start by appointing people who really care. I wouldn't expect elite wives to be overly concerned about being positive and caring, but a retired athlete who has been through the same chaos and apathy will know, and do, better.
I am proud of the Hockey team for the glory and pride they have filled me with, and I cannot say if you all feel the same way. I have to say that the longer Indian sports remains with the polity and bureaucracy, the longer it will remain absent from the world sports scene.
Regards.
<!--emo&:furious--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/furious.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='furious.gif' /><!--endemo--> what do netas know about sports.