World Cup teams Germany, Australia say newly-laid astro turf has uneven bounce

World cup teams Germany, Australia fear newly-laid astro turf's bounce could seriously injure players

World cup teams Germany, Australia fear newly-laid astro turf's bounce could seriously injure players

When the skipper of a two-time world champion outfit makes a statement, it better be heard.

Aaron Hopkins of Australia receives treatment after being hit on the face during the 2006 Commonwealthu00a0 Games final against Pakistan in Melbourne. PIC/GETTY IMAGES

Germany captain Maxmillian Muller, told MiD DAY yesterday that the newly-laid astro turf at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium is dangerous and could injure a player.

"The turf is very new and has extra bounce. In the case of an aerial ball, the first bounce literally goes over an on-rushing player. As the players are unable to judge how much the ball will rise, it can be quite dangerous and could result in an injury," Muller said after Germany beat Canada 6-0 yesterday.

"In my opinion, for big tournaments like the Olympics or the World Cup, the astro turf should be at least a year old. This one is not even a few months old," Muller said of the surface laid only a few days before the start of the World Cup.

It's no wonder then that most players have struggled to control the ball and have had to adjust their technique accordingly.

"We have told our players to trap the ball differentlyu00a0-- not with the normally angled stick but with an upright stick so we can control the ball better," explained Muller.

It's uneven too
Similar complaints have come from different quarters. Coach of former Olympic Champions Australia, Ric Charlesworth said: "The surface is quite uneven and very fast. Hence, many drag flickers have struggled to adapt. The ball bounces more than normal, which could be a reason we missed as many as 12 penalty corners in our opening match against England."

South Africa coach Gregg Clark could not agree more. "Our players, especially our defenders, have struggled to cope with this surface. The bounce is too unpredictable and the ball, if not judged properly, can hit a player," Clark said.

Netherlands ace and three-time FIH Player of the Year, Teun de Nooijer, however, played down the issue. "The turf is very fast and bouncy but we have no complaints because it's the same for all," he said.

FIH communications manager Arjen Meijer could do little but concede when MiD DAY approached him with the players' grievance.

"I agree that the turf was laid very late. It should have been in place much earlier but there were unprecedented delays in the process.

"I also admit that more practice matches should have been played on this surface in an attempt to try and settle it into place. But, that too was not possible due to security reasons after the government received terror threats," said Meijer.