The Spoils of Victory
September 27th, 2007The euphoria surrounding the Indian cricket team’s breathtaking victory at the 20/20 World Cup series shows no signs of settling down, and the shower of gifts and accolades does not seem likely to cease any time soon. While the tournament final witnessed an ecstatic performance by the team against Pakistan on Sep 24th, the spoils of victory certainly eliminate even the slightest shadow of doubt that in India, cricket is not just a popular sport, but a prurient religion.
Each player gets a share of about Rs. 1,18,06,700 ($295,000) based on their apportionment of the team’s winnings - the prize money of Rs. 13,06,700 ($32,660), a BCCI prize of Rs. 80,00,000 ($200,000), and a flat worth Rs. 25,00,000 ($62,500) courtesy of Sahara. Most players will also be getting steep raises from their respective ‘employers’, as well as free flights for the next five years thanks to the Delhi government.
In addition, prizes that have been announced for individual players by state governments and corporations add up to tidy sums -
Yuvraj Singh: Rs. 1,00,00,000 ($250,000) and a Porsche
R P Singh : Rs. 10,00,000 ($25,000) and a Mercedes
Joginder Singh: Rs. 21,00,000 ($52,500)
Ajit Agarkar & Rohit Sharma: Rs. 10,00,000 ($25,000)
Irfan & Yusuf Pathan: Rs. 16,00,000 ($40,000)
Virendra Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, S Sreesanth & Robin Uthappa: Rs. 5,00,000 ($12,500)
Bowling Coach Venkatesh Prasad: Rs. 20,00,000 ($50,000)
Things are looking bright in the near future as well, as corporations have probably already begun their own contest for sponsorships and endorsements.
Boy, it must feel really good to be Yuvraj Singh right now!
(Update) Hockey (or field hockey to the Americans), despite being anointed India’s national sport, lags far behind in terms of the recognition that it should receive. In a big contrast to cricketers, hockey players are actually penalized for poor performance (Rs. 1,000 for each goal scored and Rs. 2,000 deducted for every goal conceded) and barely rewarded, if at all, for their achievements. As Murali aptly puts it, compared to cricket in India, other sports are given the proverbial step-motherly treatment.
