BANGALORE: India’s hockey mandarins have decided to abandon the Sports Authority of India, South Centre yet again and shift the camps to New Delhi. The reason: the worn-out Polytan turf.

Hockey India secretary-general Narinder Batra confirmed on Wednesday that the camp would be shifted to the Capital soon. “We need to get the pitch ready as it has been raining heavily for the past few days,” he said.

Incidentally, the next phase of the junior camp has already been shifted to Delhi. It begins on August 11.

Niggles to a few players during practice and the general apprehension that it is impossible to go all out on the slippery turf without inviting injuries have forced HI to make the move.

Last week, Gurmail Singh, Harbir Singh and Rupinder Pal Singh sent the team think-tank into a tizzy when they sustained minor injuries during training. With Gurvinder Singh Chandi recovering from injury and promising striker Akashdeep Singh ruled out of Asia Cup owing to shin splints, the thoughts now are primarily on preparing the squad without mishaps.

In April 2012, the then chief coach Michael Nobbs ruled the turf at the South Centre unsuitable for high-intensity training and had the senior camp shifted out of Bangalore. But curiously, both the senior and junior camps returned to the south centre in May this year.

Hockey India sources made it clear that they wouldn’t prefer to have camps in Bangalore till a new turf is installed. “Our coaches have been in discussing this point with us for the past few days. It is best to shift the camp out of Bangalore,” they said.