Hockey players finally get an out-of-pocket allowance after years of waiting

Hockey Players Finally Receive Out-of-Pocket Allowance After Years of Waiting

New Delhi: After a prolonged wait, India's national hockey players, both men and women, will now be entitled to an out-of-pocket allowance (OPA) from the government under the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS).

Indian Hockey team

Since the inception of TOPS in September 2014, athletes from other sports have benefited from the Ministry's monthly stipend. However, hockey players were excluded until a recent Mission Olympic Cell (MOC) meeting.

The 156th governing council meeting of the MOC approved an OPA of Rs 25,000 per month for national campers of both the men’s and women’s hockey teams, following a request from Hockey India (HI).

A total of 80 players (40 men and 40 women) in the developmental group of TOPS will benefit from this allowance. Athletes in the core group of TOPS receive a monthly stipend of Rs 50,000. The allowance for hockey players will cost the government Rs 20 lakh per month, according to a ministry official.

Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya stated that the allowance was granted based on the players' performance. "The allowance was requested by Hockey India for some time and we have decided to accept the demand. The players have performed reasonably well and it (this allowance) is being given on merit. The federation will have to submit a list of players to the Sports Authority of India (SAI) every month for disbursement of the funds."

The men’s team was considered for OPA after securing two consecutive bronze medals at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and the subsequent Paris Games last year. The team also won gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023. The women’s team achieved a commendable fourth-place finish in Tokyo. Both teams are currently competing in the FIH Pro League’s European leg.

The MOC has approved proposals worth Rs 4.28 crore from athletes, including Rs 1.38 crore in financial assistance to tennis players Saketh Myneni and Jeevan Nedu.