New Delhi: In a first for Indian hockey players, the sports ministry has approved an out-of-pocket allowance of Rs 25,000 per month for those picked in the national camp of both men and women after repeated requests from the sport's governing body.

Eighty players (40 men and 40 women) will benefit from the allowance, which is given to athletes in the developmental group of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme. The decision was taken at the Mission Olympic Cell's monthly meeting here on Thursday.

The allowance would cost the government Rs 20 lakh per month. The core group athletes are entitled to Rs 50,000 per month.

"The allowance was being requested by Hockey India for some time, and we have decided to accept the demand. The players have performed reasonably well and it is on merit," Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya told reporters in an informal interaction here.

Hockey India will have to submit a list of players every month for the disbursement of the funds.

"The list would take into account form and fitness, and names might change depending on these two factors," a sports ministry source stated.

Currently, the hockey players draw salaries from the departments and organisations where they are employed, even though a proposal to have a graded contract system by Hockey India has been in the deliberation stage for the past few years.

Their other source of income is the prize money for strong international performances in showpieces like the Olympics and the Asian Games, among others.

The men's team has won two back-to-back bronze medals in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and the subsequent Paris Games last year. The women's side finished fourth in Tokyo but failed to qualify for the Paris showpiece.

Both teams are currently competing in the FIH Pro League's European leg, where the results have not been particularly encouraging so far.

Proposals worth Rs 4.28 crore approved

PTI