Cash-rich event rocks India Olympic hopes
Kuldip Lal
Indian field hockey stood divided on Thursday over a lucrative, but
unsanctioned, event along the lines of cricket’s Indian Premier League,
threatening the country’s Olympic dream.
The bone of contention is the multi-million dollar World Series
Hockey (WSH), a tournament promoted by a television network, whose
inaugural edition takes place across India from December 17 to January
22.
One of the richest events in the sport, with prize and appearance
money topping $3 million, it has attracted star players from India and a
few from overseas in a franchise-based contest.
Support
But the event does not have the support of the International Hockey
Federation (FIH), which has warned that any player taking part will be
banned from international tournaments like the Olympics.
The world governing body opposes the tournament because it is backed
by the rebel Indian Hockey Federation and not the officially recognised
Hockey India.
The FIH threat has prompted most of the world’s current top stars to
stay away, with only a handful like Brent Livermore of Australia, Lucas
Vila of Argentina and Rodeigo Garza signing up.
Even Pakistan, who had earlier allowed its players to travel to India
for the tournament, withdrew permission, saying the focus should be on
next year’s London Olympics.
National
Hockey India wants its players to stay away because the dates clash
with a national camp to prepare for the Olympic qualifying tournament in
New Delhi in February-March, which India must win to make the trip to
London.
National coach Michael Nobbs of Australia has dubbed the WSH as “one
for retired players” and warned his wards that he will leave them out of
the Olympic qualifiers if they take part.
Indian players, who are not paid fees for national duty and see the
WSC as a way to secure their financial future, have been caught in the
cross-fire between the two rival bodies.
Nimbus Sport, the television network behind the WSH, insist they have
signed up at least 150 Indian players and even paid them appearance
money reportedly ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 in advance.
Letter
Hockey India this week released a letter from six top Indian stars
saying they would prefer to play for their country and wanted the WSC
put off till after the Olympic qualifiers.
Nimbus official Yannick Colaco dismissed the letter, saying he was
“unable to judge whether it is a fabrication or an extortion”.
“What we do know for a fact is that not a single WSH player has
communicated in person or e-mail to us regarding his non-availability
for the inaugural edition,” Colaco said in a statement.
Colaco had earlier said that Nimbus will take legal action if players
were barred from the WSH or left out of the national team.
Country
Indian players, who are currently in South Africa representing the
country in the FIH’s Champions Challenge tournament, were not available
for comment.
Hockey, which remains India’s national sport despite the country’s
obsession with cricket, has been relegated to the background in recent
years due to the team’s poor showing in major events.
India won the last of their eight Olympic gold medals at the
western-boycotted Moscow Games in 1980 and failed to qualify for the
2008 Beijing Olympics.
NEW DELHI, Friday AFP |