World Series Hockey looking to hold all the Indian players in the inaugural edition
It seems that the situation of Indian hockey will further deteriorate in the coming days, as the inaugural day of the World Series Hockey (WSH) is coming close day-by-day.
The WSH, backed by the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and Nimbus Sports, will see the light of the day on December 17, 2011.
As the final day is coming close, the fight between WSH‘s organisers and Hockey India over holding the players is becoming worse with every passing day.
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) and Hockey India warned the players not to compete in the unsanctioned league or be prepared for bans in case of defiance.
However, the IHF, in coordination with Nimbus Sports, is not ready to allow them to do so. In a recent move, the organisers of the rebel league said that all those who contracted their deals with them will don colours in the lucrative event.
Chief Operating Officer (COO) Nimbus Sports, Yannick Colaco, observed, “I am extremely happy to say that all Indian players who have signed up for the WSH will 100 percent play in the event”.
The COO Nimbus Sports released the names of the teams as well the players, claiming that the event will help the national team in preparing for the Olympic Qualifiers.
He maintained, “As per the dates announced earlier, the camp for the pre-Olympic qualifiers was to start on January 24 and WSH ends on January 22. We had fixed the dates to prepare the Indian team for the Olympic qualifiers”.
He also informed that they did not receive any letter up till now regarding threats from the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) for banning its players in case of their participation in the unofficial league.
He reiterated that all those names from across the world, who have inked their deals, will participate in the inaugural edition of the World Series Hockey.
Former Indian team coach and currently affiliated with the Chennai Franchise, Jose Brasa, stated that the FIH dispatched a letter to the national governing bodies, asking them to change their statues regarding the players’ overseas assignments.
He clarified that according to the proposed statutes the players will have to seek permission from their respective units before contesting any overseas event.
According to the WSH announcement, a total of eight franchise-based teams, namely Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Karnataka, Mumbai, Pune, Punjab and Bhopal, will contest the first version.
It is vital to mention here that Prabhjot Singh and Adrian D’Souza will lead Punjab and Mumbai teams, respectively in the money-making event. Sardar Singh and Rehan Butt will lead Bhopal and Chandigarh, respectively.
The teams from Delhi, Karnataka and Pune will be led by Brent Livermore, Arjun Halappa and Rodrigo Garza, respectively.
One cannot predict what kind of a response should be expected from the FIH and Hockey India if players opt to play in the World Series Hockey.
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