State govt should reward Maharashtra kabaddi team: Pillay

Mumbai, Dec 26 (UNI) Hockey wizard Dhanraj Pillay today appealed to the state government to reward the Maharashtra kabaddi team, which brought back home the national title after a gap of 28 years.

Speaking at a public felicitation function of the Maharashtra kabaddi team members, organised by the Amar Prem Kreeda Mandal and Shiv Sena Worli Vidhansabha Kshetra here today, Dhanraj said, ''Kabaddi is my second love and for long it has been neglected.

This is the right time for the state government to come forward and appreciate their victory.'' He said, ''A few of them are Shiv Chhatrapati Award winners but the rest equally deserve the award and the state can present it to them as a special case. Maharashtra is the home of Kabaddi and the contribution of the boys to resurrect the pride and glory of the State should not go unrewarded.'' Dhanraj cited the instance of him getting the hockey state award as a special case in 1990 after the Indian team got a silver at Beijing Asian Games. The state had given the award to Darryl D'souza, John Fernandes, Harinder Singh and Mark Patterson as a special case then, he said.

The new kabaddi national champions were presented with cash prizes donated by well-wishers on the occasion.

UNI