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Journalism of Courage
NEW DELHI, July 15: India’s sports fraternity expressed shock over the plight of the widow of 1936 Berlin Olympics hockey hero, Joe Philips and offered to help her.
The Indian Express carried a report today on 74-year-old Mary Philips who cleans utensils in Pune houses to live. Her husband Joe was a star of the Indian hockey team which won the gold medal at the Berlin Olympics while Hitler himself watched.
Indian Hockey Federation president K P S Gill said he was sad to learn about her struggle. "It’s sad and pathetic that such a thing has happened. We will definitely follow it up," he said.
Gill added: "We have recently started looking into the problems of the former Olympians and have started giving them stipends. I am glad such a thing was brought to our notice and we will take up the issue very seriously and make sure that she gets a stipend. We will make a list of such needy people and ensure that no one suffers."
Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president and Rajya Sabha MP Suresh Kalmadiexpressed similar sentiments. "I am taking up the matter with the state government. I’ll see that something is positively done about it," he said.
IOA secretary Randhir Singh said that he would take up the matter with the government "tomorrow itself and pressurise them to give her pension."
Despite repeated attempts, however, Union Minister of State for Sports Uma Bharti refused to comment.
Ajitpal Singh, former Olympian and captain of the 1975 World Cup winning team, said that the Government had started an insurance scheme for all medal winners at the international level a couple of years ago. "But the problem is that the federation has not been able to compile a complete list of medal-winners," he said.
Ajitpal felt that Mary Philips should be provided with immediate relief. "It’s very sad that the widow of such a great player should suffer this fate. It is actually a sorry commentary on the plight faced by former Olympians," Ajitpal said.
