New Delhi: He carried the weight of country’s expectations, leading India to a gold medal in the Asian Champions Trophy, but India hockey skipper Sreejesh P.R. was in for a surprise on his return home when an airlines charged for his hockey kit!
A bemused Sreejesh couldn’t help but post a sarcastic post on Twitter, “Extra charges for the sports equipment bag which come below 15kg ??Are they expecting me to carry makeup kit?? funny concept@AirAsia.”
Sreejesh’s playing equipment is expected to be heavier than his teammates as goalkeepers have heavy protective gears which includes upper body protection, thick pads, gloves and a helmet unlike outfield players who need to carry only their hockey sticks.
Sreejesh, who had reached Bengaluru with the team on Monday, was on his way home to Kochi in Kerala. The airlines allegedly charged Sreejesh an extra Rs 1,500 for carrying his equipment that was within the stipulated weight limit.
Fans were quick to respond asking the airlines to apologise and called for respect for national heroes. Tweeted a follower, “@AirAsia doesn’t know the weight of expectations @16Sreejesh has on his shoulders. Else they hv charged for that ‘expectation Weight’ too.” The Indian team, who defeated Pakistan 3-2 in the final, returned to a rousing welcome on Monday night.
