Minister ‘opens’ astroturf

A STAFF REPORTER

Calcutta: Nearly three months after the century old Beighton Cup matches were held, union sports minister M.S. Gill ‘inaugurated’ the astroturf of Sports Authority of India (SAI), Eastern Centre, on Wednesday afternoon.

Neither the SAI nor the Bengal Hockey Association (BHA) officials seemed to have intimated the minister that he was inaugurating a venue where the Beighton Cup final was played a few months back.

If this wasn’t enough, the manner in which the SAI director S. Harmilapi denied about Beighton matches being held was even more baffling.

“You people don’t know. The matches were held at SAI but not on the astroturf,” said Harmilapi to the utter shock of some of the scribes who had covered the Beighton final between Indian Oil Corporation and South Central Railway held on the astroturf last December.

On a different note, the sports minister spoke at length with the media on various issues ranging from the hockey team’s performance to the preparations of the government for hosting the Commonwealth Games.

He was categorical in stating that he wouldn’t like to see any politicking and factionalism within the hockey team. “We have spent Rs 15 crore to built a world class hockey stadium in New Delhi. A lot has been spent on imparting world class coaching facilities including hiring a foreign coach (Jose Brasa). I have no problems with a team losing but one should always give his hundred per cent on the field. There is no place for factionalism and politics when you are representing your country,” he said.

The minister informed that Rs 350 crore were spent on CCTV cameras that will be installed across New Delhi as a part of the security measures. “We don’t want to leave any stone unturned as far as the security is concerned. ” he said.