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Back From Rio, Women’s Hockey Players Made to Sit on Train Floor

Four players from Odisha were not allotted confirmed berths on the train and had to sit on the floor for an hour.

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While the Indian champions from the Rio Olympics are being awarded with Khel Ratnas and BMWs, several from the largest Indian contingent are far from being celebrated.

Members of the Indian women’s hockey team didn’t even have confirmed train tickets on their way back home.

Four hockey players from Odisha were made to sit on the floor of the train from Ranchi to Rourkela.

We asked the TTE to allot berths to us but he denied. After travelling for about an hour, we got seats.
Sunita Lakra told Deccan Chronicle
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The four players — Deep Grace Ekka, Namita Toppo, Lilima Minz, and Sunita Lakra —were on their way home on the Dhanbad-Alleppey Express, and were not allotted confirmed berths on the train.

Himanshu Sekher Behera, the sub-collector of their hometown Sundergarh, said:

We will draw the attention of the Railways about the incident. They should have been provided seats. It is the responsibility of the department to take care of them.

Avid sports lovers from the girls’ town are enraged and said it was a great achievement that they qualified for the Games, even though they didn’t win a medal.

Pointing out that bureaucrats and ministers travelled to Rio in first-class, activist Brinda Adige told ANI.

I am sure funds were allocated, it was the carelessness and apathy of the officials who have been indifferent to the players assuming that players are their gulams (slaves). And these people continue in this feudal fashion because they are babus and officials; they can travel in first-class and have the best luxury, whereas the real players are being treated so badly.

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Topics:  Hockey    Train   Rio Olympics 2016 

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