Rajpal says Prabhjot never made captaincy an issue

NEW DELHI: India’s hockey captain Rajpal Singh on Thursday made light of the row over captaincy, saying Prabhjot Singh never made an issue of leading the side in the World Cup, beginning on Sunday at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium.

A few weeks ago, the team was rocked by the controversy over captaincy when media reported that chief coach Jose Brasa pushed Prabhjot’s name for captaincy and that he had even made his choice public even before the announcement of the squad.

But when Hockey India decided to continue with Rajpal, who was made the captain in November, an irate Prabhjot was reported to have threatened to pull out of the World Cup.

But Rajpal laughed off the matter. “Nothing of that sort happened. Prabhjot never said this and I have no reasons to believe otherwise. I do not know where from the media got this news and flashed it.

“The team has bonded well and we are motivated to perform well in the World Cup,” he said.

India are in Group B and they play their first match against arch rivals Pakistan on Sunday.