Why should I apologise: Adrian

Solomon S Kumar, TNN

HYDERABAD: Indian hockey continues to create problems for itself, the latest being the non-inclusion of three of the five ‘rebels’ in the team for the Asian Champions Trophy to be held in China next month.

Indications are that Adrian D’Souza and Prabhjot Singh were dropped because they were unwilling to apologise for making the trip to Mumbai for the launch of World Series Hockey last month. It is learnt that they refused to apologise unlike some other players who did so and made it to the team.

“My form has been top class and there is no doubt about it at all,” Adrian told TOI on Wednesday. “If it is about fitness, then there have hardly been any fitness drills at the camp. Dropping me like a hot potato hurts a lot. I don’t even find a place in the standbys. This is unfair,” said the veteran goalkeeper.

“Dilip (Tirkey, a government appointed observers present at the selection meeting) said he would talk to me later. I want to ask him about my non-inclusion. I don’t understand what wrong I have done. We have received a couple of show cause notices and I have replied to all of them. So where is the question of apologising now,” he said. “To be honest, I have not sought any permission to come to Hyderabad today. Why is this not a problem with the officials now?” he said.