Contrary to its avowed policy of according VIP treatment to hockey Olympians and their families, raw treatment was meted out to the mother of local hero and Vice-Captain of Indian team, Amit Rohidas, when she came to watch the match against England on Sunday.
Accompanied by her family members, she was denied the protocol of access to the Stadium through gate number 5 reserved for VIPs, bureaucrats,district administration officials, politicians and eminent sports personalities.
Instead, Mrs Gulapi Rohidas was directed to come through general public gate number 2 after getting her vehicle parked in the general public stand. She had to walk almost half a km to reach the general stand from where she along with her family watched the game against England.
Under the protocol and in accordance with announcements made from time to time she should have been allowed access through the VIP gate besides being the reception of a special guest in the VIP Block to watch the game of her son.
Some sports personalities and organisations have condemned the treatment meted out to Gulapi Rohidas as they held that even junior officials and members of the organising committee had been given special entry passes through VIP gate no 5 in preference to international sportsmen and women and their families.
Prabhjot Singh