Imphal, Aug. 25: Captain of the Indian women’s hockey team which won the gold medal at the Manchester Commonwealth Games, W. Surjalata Devi, has rejected the cash prizes announced by the Manipur government. She argued that the cash prizes were not announced under a specific policy framework.

Bombarded by flak from several quarters for its lackadaisical attitude to the stunning performance by Manipur’s girls in the Commonwealth Games, the Ibobi Singh government had announced on Thursday cash prizes for the medal winners and participants from the state in the recent Games.

According to the decision taken by a high-level meeting chaired by the chief minister, the government would pay Rs 1.5 lakh each to the two women weightlifters, N. Kunjarani Devi and Sanamacha Chanu, who won three gold medals each, at the rate of Rs 50,000 per gold.

The government also announced that cash prizes of Rs 30,000 each would be given to the four women hockey players while three other participants, including boxer Ngangom Dingko Singh, would be given Rs 25,000 each.

“We will not accept the cash awards since the incentives were not announced under a policy. The government does not follow any policy in announcing cash awards,” the Indian women’s hockey captain told The Telegraph from Patiala.

Before the fifth National Games, the Manipur government had announced Rs 50,000 for a gold medallist and Rs 75,000 to the sportsperson who sets a new record. Though the women’s hockey team brought the country its first gold medal in the Commonwealth Games, the state government’s decision to give away only Rs 30,000 each to the four players has infuriated them. The three other players are Pakpi Devi, Sangai Ibemhal and Tingongleima Devi.

Surjalata, now attending a national camp in Patiala for the Pusan Asian Games, said the Manipur government had given Dingko Singh Rs 1 lakh for his bantamweight gold medal in the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games, while “we were given Rs 50,000 each for winning the silver medal in the Asian meet”. She said government quarters were also allotted to him and a road named after the boxer.

“Now the government says it will give each of us only Rs 30,000, despite the fact that we secured the gold while those participants, who could not even win medals, will get Rs 25,000 each. We also took part in the last Commonwealth Games at Kuala Lampur, but no cash awards were given to us for participation by the Manipur government,” the captain said.

She said their teammates from other states have been given prizes ranging from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 8 lakh by their respective governments. “How can we accept this amount?” she asked, adding all the states did not differentiate between an individual gold and a team gold.

Former captain and goalkeeper Tingongleima Devi also said she would not accept the cash prize announced by the government. “Such a lopsided policy of the government will put off a number of potential players. Is the Manipur government boosting our morale or discouraging not only us but also those trying to make it big internationally?” she asked.