Sikh community comes to the aid of junior Indian hockey team stranded in Australia

What’s the story?

An Indian girls’ hockey team went to Australia to compete in a tournament, but they have not received any basic support from the Indian High Commission and missed two matches due to non-availability of transportation. Disgusted with the situation, some girls were seen crying in the streets of Adelaide. A Sikh taxi driver saw them and took them to the playing ground.Sikh Association of Adelaide came to their rescue, providing them with food and clothing from the local Gurudwara, while they also received the much-needed transportation to and from the grounds.

The context

The School Sports Federation of India has received Rs 2.5 lakhs against each of the players from the government and yet they failed to provide any good services. According to local reports, the managers had no interest in the matches as they were planning to go to Melbourne for a tour.

In a video that went viral earlier, the members of the team are seen explaining their dire situation, appealing to anyone who can come to their aid.

The heart of the matter

The allegations were mostly against the officials who accompanied the team. The girls’ team did not get any food or transportation. The girls, in a video, even said that they were feeling bad for their family, who have spent a lot of money to send them to Australia.

The Sikh association took control of the situation and helped the girls reach to the motel at night. They further said that they will take care of the team until their last match, with food and transportation. Wider communities of the city also offered full support to these young girls, with also all the local Gurudwaras wanting to deliver them food and everything they need.

What’s next

They have already lost two matches, but still, they have few more games left to impress. The young hockey players need to perform well in order to hit back.

Author’s take

Sending a contingent of Indian players to a different country, and then leaving them at their wits' end is not something that any sports fan likes to see from the administrators. While Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore has ordered a probe into the matter, it remains to be seen what comes out of it.