NEW DELHI: Hockey India (HI) on Tuesday announced it will provide 61 unemployed players, including 34 women, with financial assistance amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, to help them return to sporting activities.

Athletes not holding employment are facing constraints due to the pandemic, impacting them adversely. Under the initiative, each player will be provided a sum of Rs 10,000.

“The ongoing battle with the Covid-19 pandemic has had an adverse impact on athletes who don’t have jobs, for them to be able to continue sporting activities while their families face financial constraints will be difficult,” HI officiating President, Gyanendro Ningombam was quoted as saying in a media release.

“Hockey India was keen to find a way to give them some immediate relief and has decided to help these players with Rs 10,000 each as financial assistance in these difficult times, which would mean they would not add any additional burden on their families as they look to resume sports activities in the near future,” he added.

The objective of the initiative is to provide basic financial relief to the athletes.

Around 61 athletes from across the senior and junior men and women core probables, including 30 junior women, 26 junior men, four senior women and one senior men’s team core probable will benefit from the initiative.

“We hope this assistance will help the players to soon resume sporting activities and give them the necessary confidence to focus their energies on excelling for the country,” Ningombam said.