Sardar Singh has an existing three-year contract with us: Nimbus

MUMBAI: India’s ace mid-fielder Sardar Singh, who has become the brand ambassador of Hockey India League, has an existing three-year contract with rival World Series Hockey, a top official of Nimbus Sport, the organisers of WSH, said on Friday.

The official said Sardar has already been paid a signing up fee for his contract with WSH.

“He has an existing three-year contract with us and has already taken up an advance signing up fee running into a few lakhs (of rupees),” Nimbus Sport’s chief operating officer Yannick Colaco said on Friday.

“He should show some responsibility. He was our brand ambassador when we set up WSH. You should ask him how he has signed up for another league when he has a contract with us,” said Colaco when asked whether Sardar has opted out of the contract with Nimbus.

WSH, an eight-team city-based league that held its first season earlier this year and is set to commence its second in the middle of December, is a joint initiative of Nimbus and the Indian Hockey Federation, which is fighting a protracted legal battle with rival body HI for the game’s governance.

Sardar, among the few Indian players who performed well in the disastrous campaign in the London Olympic Games, and Australia captain Jamie Dwyer, were recently named as brand ambassador of the six-team HIL scheduled to begin in January next year.

As per the contract his contract with Nimbus which he signed in December, 2010, Sardar is not to play or to participate, promote or endorse any hockey event or match taking place in India that has not got IHF’s sanction or is considered by Nimbus as similar or in conflict with WSH.

“We have stopped talking with him. We have sent him a legal notice,” said Colaco.