The victory that was to bring the glory to the nation rather became ignominious as the Women Kabbadi World Champions witnessed such a disgraceful farewell on Monday. In the nation that was suppose to be proud of the girls bringing the champions trophy to the country defeating other participating nations, what the team got as welcome was rather shameful and improbable. Apart from their prize money which is not even half as compared to that given to men’s kabbadi winner team, the team was not even provided lunch on the last day, after the closing ceremony. The team has not yet been given the money moreover they were look down upon by the hotel staff in which they were staying to pay the hotel bills. The Punjab government that gave full transportation facilites to all the other participating countries left the champion girls on their own, boarding auto-rickshaws for themselves. It were not only the hotel bills that they had to pay but the doping tests too were conducted entirely on their expanse costing 25,000 a test. After paying the entire money on the tests and the bills, the girls were so short on money that they had to call their aquintances and ask for the money to get back to their homes. 

This is what happens with the World Champion Team , this is how they are treated for all the proud and name they bring to our country, this is the reward they get for their undying efforts and hard work, or perhaps it is how we treat people from sports other than Cricket. Had it been a cricket win, we would have given crores of rupees, number of prizes and not to forget, a few more lieutenant titles. But the confusion just dont confines uptil here. May be it is because the BRAND that CRICKET is and not any other sport, may be because it was the women team unfortunately which not at all deserve 2 crore prize money as the Men’s team or perhaps because this is how the Indian government,or rather Punjab to be more precise, works. This is all that happens to thunders of claps and praises that goes into hidings after the show is over. This is how the world champions are treated in their own country or perhaps the true shameless face of our government that is finally unveiled. 

Geetika Mudgal,

Student of journalism,

Jalandhar.