Olympic Heroes Fly Home In Economy Class: How Non-Cricket Sportsmen Are Valued In The Country!

Members of the bronze-winning Indian men's hockey team arrived back in India on Saturday morning to a warm reception. The players, led by Harmanpreet Singh, expressed their satisfaction with their performance at the Paris Olympics. Their return, however, highlighted a disparity in the treatment of athletes, as they traveled back in economy class, contrasting sharply with the privileged status of cricketers who often travel in business class.

This discrepancy raises questions about the recognition and support given to different sports in India. Just two months earlier, a controversy erupted when Air India cancelled a Delhi-bound New York flight to accommodate the T20 World Cup-winning cricket team from Barbados.

How Much India Spent On Olympics 2024?

In comparison, Indian athletes participating in the Olympics did not receive the same level of treatment. The cost of sending the Indian contingent to the Paris Olympics was Rs 33.68 crore, more than double the expenditure for the Tokyo Games in 2021, an earlier report from The Times of India noted. This amount includes Rs 12 crore from the sports ministry, with additional funds allocated for travel, accommodation, and allowances.

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) budgeted extensively for the Games, with significant expenses going towards the travel and accommodation of delegates and IOA officials, totaling Rs 18.90 crore. The travel allowance for the executive committee members alone amounted to Rs 8.4 crore.

As per the report, the airfare for the 195 people cost Rs 3.41 crore, with Rs 2.04 crore (at $50 for 25 days on 195 persons) was being spent on out-of-pocket allowance.

Despite this, the funding for different sports varies. For instance, athletics received Rs 96.08 crore, the largest allocation, largely due to javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra's gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. In contrast, hockey received Rs 41.29 crore over the past three years, while archery was funded with Rs 39.18 crore.

Prize Money

India won a total of six medals (one silver and five bronze) at the Paris Olympics 2024 and the country with over 140 crore population ended at 71 position in the points table.

The financial rewards for Olympic athletes also vary. Shooter Manu Bhaker, who won two bronze medals in Women's 10m air pistol event and 10m air pistol mixed team event, received Rs 30 lakh from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, while Sarabjot Singh was awarded Rs 22.5 lakh.

The men's hockey team, which bagged a bronze, received Rs 15 lakh per player and Rs 7.5 lakh per support staff member from Hockey India. Additionally, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Manjhi announced Rs 4 crore for defender Amit Rohidas and Rs 15 lakh for the rest of the team, with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann adding Rs 1 crore per player from the state.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde awarded Rs 1 crore to shooter Swapnil Kusale, who won broze in Men's 50m rifle 3 positions.

However, no cash prize announcements have been made yet for javelin thrower Neeraj Chopra, who bagged a silver in Men's Javelin throw, or wrestler Aman Sehrawat, who won Men's 57kg freestyle event.

As India celebrates its achievements in Olympics 2024, a stark disparity in financial rewards for athletes highlights differences in how various sports are valued in the country. This contrast becomes even more pronounced given that cricketers were bagged Rs 125 crore for their T20 World Cup victory in June.