Hockey and Pune do not gel with each other, it seems.
At least this is what organizers of the now defunct Indira Gandhi Gold Cup would vouchsafe.
The 1993 edition of the Indira Cup was supposed to be organized in Pune, but had to be canceleld due to Maharashtra earthquake.
Now comes another instance
The Senior Men’s Nationals scheduled to be held at Pune from 13 – 27 September 2009 have been postponed
Reason: prevailing H1N1 conditions.
According tp a Hockey India media release, the new dates are likely to be announced when conditions become normal there.
We don’t know when the situation will improve in Pune, but the fact is Nationals seems to be ill-fated in India.
The last Nationals was held in Jalandhar almost three years ago before the Asian Games
This time Hockey India rightly planned to have both the camp and the Nationals in the same city, which is a good idea, but the nature has other ideas.
It is needless to mention Pune is the worst affected by the deadly swine flu.
Will then the naitonal camp be held elsewhere?
Let us wait
Hockey India seems to wait the situation becomes normal in Pune so that the venue need not be changed.