Threat to Pillay forces
shifting of camp

The hockey camp for Indian probables, for the Sultan Azlan Shah tournament in Malaysia, has been shifted from Jammu to Punjab, after police revealed they had information that a militant outfit planned to kidnap ace forward Dhanraj Pillay.

The Bombay police informed Indian Hockey Federation chief K P S Gill on Thursday about a Lashkar-e-Tayiba 'plan' to kidnap Pillay.

IHF sources said the camp would probabaly be held in Ludhiana, from July 9 to 30.

Dhanraj's elder brother Ramesh said that no family member, including the triple Olympian, received any threatening telephone calls. He said the Bombay police had contacted the family, saying they had received information some time back about the mercurial forward's name figuring on the militant group's kidnap list.

"In fact, they had provided Dhanraj protection one-and-a-half months back; my brother had gone to the police station on Thursday, to check out the safety aspect of attending the camp in Jammu," he said.

"Then the Bombay police explained to IHF officials in Delhi that it was very risky for Dhanraj to attend the camp in Jammu and requested a change of venue," Ramesh added.

Meanwhile, Ajit Tendulkar, elder brother of Sachin, said he was not aware of security provided to his brother or family. "I only read about Sachin's name being in the kidnap list, in the newspapers, but I do not have any knowledge about it," he added.