Jammu is not safe to train now: Pillay

Mercurial forward Dhanraj Pillay on Thursday said he is not disappointed with the Indian Hockey Federation's decision to overlook him for the coming Sultan Azlan Shah hockey tournament in Malaysia following his refusal to join the training camp in Jammu due to security reasons.

"I am not disappointed... the country should be disappointed that Dhanraj Pillay is not playing for the country. I have played enough hockey. I wanted to play because I want to serve the country," he told reporters in Bangalore.

Pillay probably knew about the IHF's decision as his comments came hours before IHF president K P S Gill announced in Delhi that the former captain would not be considered for selection for the Azlan Shah tournament.

Ruling out the possibility joining the training camp in Jammu, Pillay, who is reportedly on the kidnap list of militant outfit Lashkar-e-Tayiba, said: "I have trained in Jammu before, but Jammu is not a safe place for me to train now."

He said he is aware that "if I don't go (to Jammu), I can't play for the country".

"I am ready for training anywhere in the country except Jammu. I have to take care of my security. In the last 12 years, I have proved what Dhanraj is," he said, adding, he wants to play for the country for two more years.

"I am fit and waiting for a call," he concluded.