The Hindu: Belgium players’ ‘late night attempt’
Uthra Ganesan
Satyasundar Barik
‘Holding a belief’, players try to sneak into the stadium
Desperate times demand desperate measures. A day after it lost to India in the quarterfinals of the Hockey World League Finals here, the Belgium team, wanting to ensure a victory in its next outing, tried to sneak into the Kalinga Stadium late at night before being convinced to return by police officials.
Police and federation officials confirmed that about 12-13 Belgian players had managed to scale the hotel boundary to dodge their security detail and walk up to the stadium before being intercepted.
“About 12 to 13 Belgian players had dodged the security at Sandy’s Towers Hotel, where they are staying, and walked down to the Kalinga Stadium. We got information about it and immediately rushed to the spot and persuaded them back,” Bhubaneswar DCP Satyabrata Bhoi confirmed to The Hindu .
Black war-paint
Federation officials, too, confirmed the incident and added that the players, who reportedly applied black war-paint on their faces, were stopped at the main gate of the stadium around 1 a.m. and prevented from entering the premises by the stadium security till police arrived at the spot.
Apparently, the players hold a belief that if they revisit the venue of their loss unnoticed at night, they would win the next time they step on to the field.
The police had to escort them back in their vans citing security threat.
The players hold a belief that if they revisit the venue of their loss unnoticed at night, they would win the next time they step on to the field