Bangalore: Faced with unprecedented protest from senior hockey players against step-motherly treatment meted out to them, Karnataka government in a swift action tonight announced Rs 2 lakh cash reward each to four hockey players and a coach from the state who were part of the Asia Cup winning Indian team.

Hours after national hockey players accused some states, including Karnataka, of showering rewards to T20 Cricket Champions while ignoring the achievements of hockey team, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy announced the reward to the hockey players.

Vikram Kanth, V Raghunath, S V Sunil and Ignace Tirkey and Coach Ramesh Parameswaran are the players to benefit from the annoucement that came hours after national Chief Coach Joaquim Carvalho threatended that they would stage a hunger strike in front of Kumaraswamy's residence to protest the "step-motherly treatment".

"I regret the lapse on my part. I thank the hockey players for bringing it to my notice," a repentant Kumaraswamy said declaring he had made amends now.

Carvalho had come down heavily on those states which announced bounties for T20 World champions led by M S Dhoni and for treating Asia cup winning hockey players like "orphans".