Hockey players unhappy with bumpy turf

Foreign players on Monday said that the newly-laid Poligras turf at Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, which is hosting the 12th hockey World Cup, is a little bumpy and creates problems in trapping the ball.

Veteran Dutch drag-flicker Taeke Taekema, who scored the tournament's first hat-trick on Monday, said the pitch does not behave in a smooth manner when it is dry.

"The pitch is a little bumpy sometimes, especially when it is not watered. During our practice matches also we faced a few problems but luckily today it was fine," Taekema said after the match.

His views were backed by Argentina skipper Martin Lucas Rey, who said they faced a few problems on Monday in stopping the ball.

"The pitch was bouncy. We had a lot of problems. Once I pushed the ball but the stopper couldn't trap it as it suddenly bounced in front of him," he said.

The Netherlands on Monday convincingly defeated Argentina 3-0 in a Pool A match.