Hockey camp inauguration put off by a day

BANGALORE: Hockey matches scheduled for the opening day on Wednesday at the Indian Hockey Federation’s 56th Senior Nationals were thrown out of gear after champions Railways pulled out of the event, preferring instead to join the national camp in New Delhi.

Railways Sports Promotion Board sports officer Ashok Dewan told TOI that his team had been instructed by the Union sports ministry to report to the camp for the Champions Challenge I tournament in Dublin, Ireland in June.

Obviously, Railways, which comprises all the top players in the country, had to bow to Hockey India’s wishes after the organization asked the team to ‘reconsider its decision to play’ in the Bangalore event and instead attend the camp which began on April 1.

“We were keen on sending a team to Bangalore but unfortunately all our players are in the camp. We don’t have enough time to muster a second string too as most of our fringe players have already committed to other states. We have already conveyed our decision to the Indian Hockey Federation,” Dewan said.

This decision, as well as the non-arrival of a few teams, sent the organizers into a tizzy. “As of now only 19 teams have arrived. Seven more are arriving tomorrow (Wednesday),” sources told TOI. “The number of participating teams has come down to 27 from the original 30.”

The inauguration of the tournament has been put off to April 7 even as five matches were scheduled for Wednesday in an attempt to get the championship going. Fresh groupings too will be announced on Wednesday, the organizers said.

Today’s matches: Pool A: Bombay vs Tamil Nadu, 7 am, Pool G: Andhra Pradesh Vs Chhattisgarh 9 am, Pool D: Punjab vs Vidharbha 11 am, Pool H: Haryana vs Kerala 3 pm, Uttar Pradesh vs Madhya Pradesh 5 pm.