PUNE: Hockey players finally found a reason to smile, really. Five days after their six-day boycott of the World Cup preparatory camp at the Balewadi Sports Complex ended, the 22 players received the cheques as an incentive for their trophies and medals won in the year 2009.

The players, who played wearing Sahara logo on their chest but were denied any incentive forcing them to resort to boycott, got their just dues thanks to the largesse offered by the team sponsor.

At a simple function during the training session at Balewadi, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Suresh Kalmadi, presented the cheques to the campers.

Senior player Deepak Thakur said the team was extremely happy that the promise was kept in a very short time. Chief coach Jose Brasa, his assistant Harender Singh and other support staff were also given their individual cheques on the occasion.

Twelve players from amongst those rewarded are a part of the Indian U-21 team that is currently training in Lucknow for the South Asian Games to be held in Dhaka. They will receive their cheques when they reach Delhi next week.

The incentives were for the Indian team’s performances in the Punjab Gold Cup, Azlan Shah Cup at Ipoh, Test series in Argentina, New Zealand and Canada and the Champions Challenge I at Salta, Argentina.

Players who were part of the victorious Under-21 Asia Cup team at Hyderabad in 2008 were also rewarded.

 Kalmadi said that their other demands such as graded payments and insurance will be looked into after the February 7 Hockey India elections.