Following the recent walkout issue, Hockey India secy Narinder Batra says midfielder's absence will be felt (not Sandeep's)
Following the recent walkout issue, Hockey India secy Narinder Batra says midfielder's absence will be felt (not Sandeep's)
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Hockey India (HI) Secretary General Narinder Batra, in uncertain terms, snubbed drag-flicker Sandeep Singh yesterday when he told MiD DAY that Indian hockey would miss midfielder Sardara Singh only, after the two players left the ongoing national camp in Bangalore on Tuesday citing personal issues.
"I believe only Sardara's absence will be felt for sure," Batra told MiD DAY when asked if Indian hockey will miss the services of the two senior players at the upcoming Asian Champions Trophy in China (Sept 3-11)
Sandeep is one of the world's best drag-flick exponents of the game, while Sardara is the only Indian player to have made it to the World XI named by hockey's world governing body FIH.
The players told MiD DAY they had some urgent family matters to attend to and so left the camp after speaking to chief coach Michael Nobbs and Batra. However, the buzz is that the duo have been unhappy with the treatment meted out to them by team officials, and are uncertain about theiru00a0 return to the Indian hockey fold.
Batra however, preferred to play down the incident.u00a0 "Ups and downs are a part of life. Young players tend to do such things. But if it is proved that they are in the wrong, then they will be duly punished by the HI disciplinary committee that meets in New Delhi tomorrow," Batra said.
The players though will be given a fair trial, insisted Batra. "We do not want to be unfair to anyone, so we have invited both the players to this meeting to present their case. A decision will be arrived at only after we hear both sides of the story," added Batra.
The Indian team will brush shoulders withu00a0 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games' top six teams -- Pakistan, Malaysia, South Korea, Japan and China -- at the Asian Champions Trophy.
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