FIH rules stadium out of bounds
Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI: With just six days left for inauguration, the media was unsure of its role in the World Cup hockey tournament even as teams started arriving for the biggest ever hockey event in the Capital.
Harassed over the past fortnight with no access to the National Stadium where the Indian team had been practising, the media was dealt another blow on Monday by the International Hockey Federation (FIH), which ruled that the media would not be allowed into the stadium while teams were practising.
With no one to take charge of media relations — FIH communications manager Arjen Meijer was yet to arrive — the media was kept in the dark about developments through the day.
At a meeting convened by the Director-General, Sports Authority of India (SAI), on Monday afternoon, the Tournament Director, Ken Read, reportedly conveyed the FIH decision not to allow the media till February 26 when the accreditation cards are expected to be distributed. The tournament begins on February 28.
“I am told that is the FIH policy. What can I do?” said Suresh Kalmadi about the latest restriction that will prevent the media from reporting on not just the practice sessions of all teams but also practice matches. The Indian team has already played a few practice matches.
No statement
Kalmadi, Joint Chairman of the organising committee, said that the FIH was going to issue an official statement on its policy about practice sessions. No such statement was forthcoming, however, till late Monday night.
Obviously, FIH looks at the media build-up for an event of this nature differently from any other international federation that normally arranges media interactions with the teams without fuss.
For, what could have been an excellent opportunity for the sponsor, Hero Honda, to cash in on the media attention has been lost for more than a fortnight with the venue being out of bounds. And it will continue to be so till two days before the start.
Also losing out on television and print media coverage has been the Indian team sponsor, Sahara India.
The minimum media requirement would have been permission for cameramen and television crews to cover practice sessions or matches for limited periods at least in order to provide build-up both in the print and electronic media. Reporters could have then talked to team officials at a designated venue.
Sources said SAI, which has been taking the security plea to explain the media restrictions, suggested allowing at least PIB-accredited journalists access to the stadium or to make any alternative temporary arrangement, but that was also rejected by the FIH.
Journalists who have had the experience of covering several World Cup hockey tournaments in the past expressed surprise over the FIH stipulation and said there never had been any such blanket media ban so far.