Irked by the step-motherly treatment meted out to the Indian hockey players by the central and four state governments, when compared to the sops given to cricketers after their win in the Twenty20 World Cup, the team members have decided to go on a 'hunger strike'.

Speaking to reporters, National Chief Coach, Joaquim Carvalho strongly objected to the announcement of cash awards by the Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel and the state governments of Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand and Karnataka to the cricketers while ignoring the victory of his wards in the Asian Continental Championship early this month.

"Why our hockey players are orphaned and why our politicians are biased towards Hockey, the national game?", Carvalho asked.

However, "we are grateful ever to the President of India for her sending individual letters congratulating the hockey players for their Asia cup win, without losing a match".

He declared that one coach and four players have planned to go on hunger strike before the Karnataka Chief Minister's house for his announcing Rs five lakh each to the members of the cricket team, while "treating the state hockey players like dust".

Carvalho said "Karnataka CM has not till date congratulated his state hockey players for the Asia Cup win".

"Coach, Ramesh Parameswaran, manager R K Shetty and four players (Vikram Kanth, V R Rahunath, S V Sunil and Ignace Tirkey, who was recently adjudged for the Ekalaywa Award by the Karnataka Government) are to go on hunger strike before the Karnataka Chief Minister's house', he said.