Shakeel Abbasi unfazed against ban

The thinly attended media session in the late night on Thursday at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium, after Delhi Wizards won a face sever match against Bhopal Wizards, came alive when captain Shakeel Abbasi confirmed that he, and other Pakistan players doing duty in the World Series Hockey, will face a 2 years’ ban, and that it will jeopardize his forthcoming Olympic participation.

Besides Shakeel Abbasi, other Pakistan players in the WSH include Rehan Butt, Imran Warsi, Waseem Ahamed, Tariq Aziz, Zeeshan Ashraff – almost all who figured in the previous league, ESPN-Stars sports engineered Premier Hockey League.

Excerpts of Shakeel’s exclusive discussion with www.stick2hockey.com on this issue of ban.

“I haven’t got any information directly from the authorities, but journalists back home contacted us, and got our reaction. First they (PHF) thought of banning us for five years, and now am told its two years’, he said taking the trickle of information on his own stride. He was as cool as cucumber while discussing the ban issue.

“We are hockey players. Around this time I will be playing in Pakistan, it so happened am here to play in what I feel the best competition in the world”.

I am a player, and continued to be so here as well. I haven’t come here to engage in any illegal activity, I am playing in front of public, what other job I am expected to do, or trained to peform”, he reasoned firmly.

“The banning is bad. It is even injustice, as I often say I have come here on invitation, and only to play the game which I know.”

“I think there is room of improved communication between players, Federation and also from the part of World Series Hockey”. I think and hope WSH people will explain it’s a domestic tournament in India, and as players we have every pleasure in being part of it”.

On asked whether the ban will jeopardize his participation in the August Olympics, he shot back: “I have already played two of them”.

He expressed the hope that wisdom will prevail and things will settle.

‘We are players, we should keep playing, it is as simple as that”, he asserted.

Shakeel Abbassi played his best hockey today in the match against pool toppers Bhopal Badshahs on Thursday. The dramatic 1-3 victory not only infused some hope of his team’s return to form, but also the captain, himself, was happy to receive Player of the Match, and with that a cheque of Rs. 10,000.

The news of ban comes much against his day of return to form.

However, Qasim Zia, who chaired an executive meeting of PHF on Thursday was quoted as saying the following in Pakistan media

To a question regarding the Pakistan players participating in the World Hockey Series (WSH) in India, Qasim said the players’ case had been referred to the PHF disciplinary committee that would give its recommendations in the light of the PHF constitution and the International Hockey Federation (FIH) directive before a decision was taken. “We want to give an opportunity to the players who have gone for the WSH to give their point of view before the disciplinary committee before any action is decided against them.”