CHENNAI: It’s been an unceremonious exit by all accounts. Former Indian hockey captain Dilip Tirkey, a veteran of 374 internationals was ignored from the list of 48 probables by the selection committee on Wednesday.
“I’m deeply shocked and surprised,” said the soft-spoken, controversy-free Tirkey, when TOI contacted him on Wednesday.
“It has happened for the first time in my life and I’m clueless why I’ve been dropped from the probables list,” said the defender from Mumbai, where he will be representing Air India in the ongoing Tegh Bahadur Gold Cup.
“So far, I’ve not received any call from them (selectors) telling me why I was not picked. If it was my fitness, why was I now told that when the selector was watching us during the Murugappa Cup in Chennai? Maybe, the selectors might have ignored me because they are planning for the 2010 World Cup. That’s why they are focusing on grooming more youngsters. But, these are just my thoughts, I don’t know what is happening at this moment,” he said.
Tirkey, who led Air India at the Murugappa event, had participated in all the matches and the veteran defender did not show any problems regarding his fitness. “If I have any fitness problem why I was not told about it? I’ve been playing for so many years but never came across this situation,” Tirkey said.
“I’ve been playing league in The Netherlands for some time now and have seen many players turning out there who are over 35 years. I think a player should be given chance until he shows physical inability at the highest level. I still have lot of hockey left in me,” he signed off.