By IANS,
Pune/New Delhi: Hockey India, after failing to resolve the outstanding payments issue, warned the protesting players Tuesday that if they did not return to the camp within 24 hours, a new team will have to be drafted for the New Delhi World Cup.
After a two-hour meeting in Pune this afternoon, both HI officials and players stuck to the positions they had held after their meeting in Delhi Saturday.
HI president Ashok Kumar Mattoo said they have issued a day’s deadline to the players to get back to training or face a ban, while the players, on their part, sounded less strident saying they were willing to spend from their pocket to play for India if HI has no money.
“They (players) came up with a break-up that each player has to be paid for the year 2009. We don’t have the money to meet their demands. We don’t have any other choice. I told them if they do not resume training from tomorrow, we are going to have a new set of players for the World Cup,” Mattoo told IANS.
“I hope it does not come to that point and players resume training from tomorrow.”
Mattoo said they will chose players from all over the country and prepare them for next month’s World Cup.
“We will be left with no other option, but to select another set of players from across the country, give them a crash course through our coaches Jose Brasa and Harendra Singh and I am sure that they will do well in the World Cup.”
The public posturing apart, the players made it clear in their media conference that they were only asking for the match fees for playing last year plus the incentive bonus for doing well on the tours of Canada and New Zealand where they won the series.
India forward Prabhjot Singh said the players were not given any assurance by HI officials.
“We went there and whatever we wanted, we gave them in writing. In 2009, we had some podium finishes and we want incentive or reward. The first thing they said is that ‘we don’t have money’.”
“If that is the scene then how can we come to a solution. We said we would like to have a conversation with Sahara, the sponsors of the team. But there also we did not get any assurance. We don’t know anything about their (HI) accounts, expenditure.”
“We came back with the draft. We are back to square one,” he said with the entire team backing him.
Tuesday’s meeting was attended by Indian Olympic Committee officials Harish Sharma, Rajeev Mehta, Olympian Jagbir Singh, Narendra Batra besides Mattoo. Vice-president of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Antonio van Ondarza was also present. All the coaches were there with the entire 22 probables attending the camp.
Ondarza minced no words when he said that the players should know what is important, the India shirt or the money. He said it is sad when they should be preparing for the World Cup, they are getting distracted.
“When asked what is important for them, money or India shirt, they said ‘for the moment money’. And it’s very very sad to hear that.”
Chief coach Jose Brasa said that somebody should intervene and find a solution.
“The talks did not move an inch. It is a complete deadlock. Somebody will have to come forward and help find a solution,” Brasa said.