World Cup hockey venue looks fantastic: FIH presid

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World Cup hockey venue looks fantastic: FIH president

Qaiser Mohammad Ali

NEW DELHI: After reviewing the ongoing work at the National Stadium,

the venue of the 2010 Delhi World Cup, the International Hockey

Federation (FIH) president Leandro Negre admitted here on Tuesday that

he had not expected that the progress was so good.

“Well, I told the authorities here and at the Indian hockey [ad hoc

committee] that I’m very impressed with the stadium; it looks

fantastic,” Negre told SportzPower in an exclusive interview, after two

meetings with all parties involved in the project.

“The only concern has to be the finish time because we also want to

organise a test tournament before the World Cup. We have received

guarantees about that (the deadline), that it would be the end of

October. But the rest of that (stadium) looks really good. It was more

than what I had expected before coming here in India,” conceded the

Spaniard, who is not fluent in English.

The World Cup will be played from 7-20 March.

Asked what the deadline authorities told him was, he said: “It was

October 2009 from the beginning. Now, we also want a guarantee on that.

It has to finish between the 20th and the end of October.”

Negare wants the stadium to be ready quickly also because he wanted the

facilities, including the yet-to-be-laid artificial turf, to be tested

before the World Cup. For this, the FIH has proposed a four-nation

tournament.

“There will be four teams and it is to be held in December. India will

be one of the teams and we will select the three other sides,” he said.

And added with a chuckle: “Why not Pakistan, for instance? That would

be a test for the security as well. We haven’t decided about the teams,

though.”

Negre disclosed that FIH was close to finalising a good deal with the

title sponsor of the World Cup. “We are dealing with that. There are

some very nice offers for the title sponsorship. There are some Indian

companies too. But till the moment the deal is not signed, I will not

tell you anything. We are very close to finalising one of these

contracts,” he said. “There will be a title sponsor and immediately

after that we will start dealing with the other sponsors of the World

Cup. I am sure that since we are talking with some really good names we

will have good support from the sponsors.”

On the Indian Olympic Association-recognised ad hoc committee, which

administers men’s hockey, Negre said that FIH would not interfere in

the issue — perhaps because there is court case going on concerning

the now-defunct Indian Hockey Federation. “There are some internal

aspects about which the FIH will never interfere in. But since an ad

hoc body is a provisional committee, they need to take some steps

forward to get full recognition for everybody. But it is up to them,”

he stated, steering clear of any potential controversy.

FIH had also proposed a new name, Hockey India (HI), for the Indian

Hockey Confederation, the joint body men’s and women’s body that is

also not functional. Asked when HI would come into existence, Negre

smiled and said: “Don’t ask me, you have to ask them. For me, as soon

as possible – because you need Hockey India immediately for the World

Cup.”

Going by the pace at which the matter is progressing in the Delhi High

Court, it seems unlikely that the issue would be resolved before the

World Cup.

Negre confirmed he would also meet IOA president-cum-politician Suresh

Kalmadi, who also heads the hockey ad hoc committee. “We (the FIH team)

are going to Pune to meet him day after tomorrow (9 April). There are

different issues that I will talk about with him. But let me keep those

with myself. I will discuss them with him and you can then ask me about

all that.”