New Delhi, March 13 (IANS) Members of the Netherlands hockey team Saturday visited a shelter for rescued child labourers and gifted them hockey sticks. They also had a friendly hockey session with the children.

Bhuwan Ribhu of the Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), a child rights NGO which runs the shelter, said: 'The coach of the Netherlands hockey team, Michel Van Den Heuvel, and two other players of the Premier League team visited the Mukti Ashram today to visit the 40 rescued child labourers who we have housed here.'

'The team spent about an hour with the kids and presented them with hockey sticks. The idea behind this was to tell the children that they have every right to play and enjoy their childhood, as much as they have a right to education,' Ribhu told IANS.

Rizwan, one of the children in the shelter who was rescued from a bindi making unit in Delhi March 9 said: 'I like hockey and have been watching a lot of matches on TV. I am glad I have my own hockey stick now...I can play whenever I wish'.

Seeing the enthusiasm of the children - all of who were boys - the visiting team also had a friendly hockey session with them in which they gave them some basic playing tips.

The Netherlands lost to Australia in the semifinals of the Hockey World Cup.