Times Of India
NEW DELHI: Olympians Dhanraj Pillay and V Bhaskaran, on Friday, flayed the decision to prepone next year’s hockey World Cup to avoid a clash with the Indian Premier League, saying the administrators have let down the game and submitted to cricket.
The World Cup was originally scheduled in the capital from March 7 to 20 but the International Hockey Federation (FIH) advanced it by a week to avoid a clash with the third season of the IPL slated for March 12-April 25.
To add to that, Hockey India President A K Mattoo had hinted that there is a strong possibility of rescheduling the final of the elite event scheduled for March 13, since it clashes with an IPL double header.
Pillay, one of India’s most successful forwards and a member of the selection committee, said he was extremely disappointed with the decision.
“IPL is a domestic tournament and the World Cup is only next to Olympics. It should not have happened, this is wrong. World Cup dates were announced early and IPL should have been postponed and not the World Cup,” Dhanraj said.
“And if they are now thinking of shifting the World Cup final then I would say they are not committed and have submitted to cricket,” the former skipper fumed.
Former India coach Bhaskaran was equally annoyed and said things like this happen only in India.