India men’s hockey team’s goalkeeper PR Sreejesh Friday took to Twitter to express his frustration at IndiGo airlines for charging him extra money for handling “goalkeeper baggage”.
Drawing a comparison between the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and the domestic carrier, Sreejesh highlighted how the airlines “never allowed” him to carry anything over anything over 38 inches.
“FIH allow me to play with a 41inch hockeystick, but @IndiGo6E never allow me to carry anything over 38inch. What to do? Pay extra Rs,1500 for handling the goalkeeper baggage. #loot,” the Olympic-winning player wrote on a Twitter post.
FIH allow me to play with a 41inch hockeystick, but @IndiGo6E never allow me to carry anything over 38inch.
What to do? Pay extra Rs,1500 for handling the goalkeeper baggage.#loot pic.twitter.com/lJWFkAlgfT— sreejesh p r (@16Sreejesh) September 23, 2022
Sreejesh was a part of the Indian hockey team that bagged a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics last year.
The hockey player’s post caused quite a stir on the microblogging platform, with Twitter users coming forward in support of the player.
Political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla blasted the airlines for lacking “common sense” and told not to hound the hockey player for “petty amount”.
Terrible @IndiGo6E ! We know you have rules but pls ask your on- ground team to understand the situation & not hound @16Sreejesh who represents our country for a petty amount. Rules are fine, but common sense will tell you when you must make an exception!@AdityaRajKaul
— Tehseen Poonawalla Official 🇮🇳 (@tehseenp) September 23, 2022
Senior journalist Aditya Raj Kaul told the carrier to have some “respect” for the star goalplayer, and advised IndiGo to implement “sensible rules”.
This is just terrible, @IndiGo6E! Shameful to treat India’s hockey star this way. Show some respect & have sensible rules in place applying some logic. Did you see this @tehseenp? Hope there is immediate course correction with apology. @PoulomiMSaha @Ashoke_Raj @karishmasingh22
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) September 23, 2022
However, a user shared how the tables would have turned if the hockey player was a cricketer.
“If it would have been a cricker they would have given free ticket as well..Pthatic @IndiGo6E no respect shown for an Olympic medal winner..,” the user wrote.
This is just terrible, @IndiGo6E! Shameful to treat India’s hockey star this way. Show some respect & have sensible rules in place applying some logic. Did you see this @tehseenp? Hope there is immediate course correction with apology. @PoulomiMSaha @Ashoke_Raj @karishmasingh22
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) September 23, 2022
While there was some section who sided with the airline, and told the goalkeeper to “follow the rules”.
“Tomorrow if you start playing jevelin throw, do you expect an airlines to transport it free for you? Sports means – follow the rules,” said a user.
Tomorrow if you start playing jevelin throw, do you expect an airlines to transport it free for you?
Sports means – follow the rules.https://t.co/veqBMVFkuf— virendra 🇮🇳 (@viren56002) September 23, 2022
Another user wrote that Sreejesh should stop fussing about the incident.
Pay and go why so fuss
— Nitin (@resorock) September 23, 2022
Why should sportspeople demand separate rules. This sense of entitlement has to stop in our country. Does Rs. 1500 hurt so much ? David Beckham stood in a line.
— J🟧🇮🇳 (@dabiajsd) September 23, 2022
Frankly, what exactly is wrong if an airline is charging for a service? Yep, we may debate who should pay – the player, organisers, federation, sponsor, or someone else. But a social media post for Rs 1500? Beats me, @16Sreejesh .
— Rajesh Kumar (@rajeshblue) September 23, 2022
@16Sreejesh can atleast afford it.. what about under previlaged player's..? don't ask that.. then how they traveling in airlines. Even if Goalkeepers don't afford buy 10k Phone 📱 they manage to buy Rs 1lakh standard GK kit.
— Nagalingaswamy B (@BNagalingaswamy) September 23, 2022
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