Gautam Gambhir donated Rs 4 lakhs to the Ice Hockey team
Last week, the Ice Hockey Association of India (IHAI) team took to social media to 'beg' for money, seeking to crowdfund their trip to Kuwait where an Asia-level tournament is being held later this month.
When Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Gautam Gambhir donated Rs 4 lakhs on Tuesday to help the cash-strapped team, it came as a pleasant surprise.
This is what Gauti's official Facebook page says:
"I felt it is a moral responsibility to support the game of ice hockey, it is a disgrace that in a country like India where sports have so much support these games are neglected. As a sportsman I believe I should always support smaller games," Gauti said on his Facebook page.
Social media is all praises for the cricketer.
On Twitter, the ice hockey team had said that the sport receives government funding only to attend the Olympics.
They also said that the players don't have funds for their gear or to travel for the International Ice Hockey Federation Challenge Cup.
In our cricket-crazy nation, while cricket stars earn millions, other sports depend largely on government funding. The ice hockey team is denied even that option.
Using the hashtag #SupportIcehockey, the ice hockey team has been urging supporters to donate anything from Rs 100 up to Rs 1 lakh.
According to their website, the team has collected Rs 5, 35,260 so far.
Earlier, entrepreneur Anand Mahindra and the BJP in Lucknow had taken notice:
The tournament begins on 18 April.