Chouhan sports black band; pledges aid to women hockey players

Bhopal: Expressing solidarity with the protesting women hockey players over the non-payment of their pending dues and other demands, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan sported black armbands.

"I am with you and the state government will extend all financial help to see that the national game does not suffer due to monetary constraint," Chouhan told the players, who obliged his invitation and visited his residence along with the team officials this morning. The Chief Minister also announced that the state government would give Rs one lakh each tomorrow to the 40 odd women players of the Commonwealth Games core group."Chouhan sported the black armband and pledged all help to the players," team`s chief coach M K Kaushik told reporters. "He also assured that the Madhya Pradesh government would take care of all their needs," Kaushik said.The women players, who are attending a Commonwealth Games preparatory camp here, have been wearing black armbands since the last four days in protest against the non-payment of their dues since April 2008 and also demanded facilities akin to their male counterparts. Chouhan, who spent almost an hour with the officials and the players, boosted their morale asking them to concentrate on the game to bring laurels for the country. PTI