India coach Jose Brasa on Monday lashed out at tournament director Ken Read for slapping Shivendra Singh with a three-match suspension for an "unintentional" foul against a Pakistani player during their hockey World Cup opener at Dhyan Chand National Stadium on Monday.
Narinder Batra on Saturday became the first Indian to be elected the President of the International Hockey Federation after he was voted to the top post by an overwhelming margin during the penultimate day of the 45th FIH Congress in Dubai. Batra, who is the president of Hockey India, defeated David Balbirnie of Ireland and Australia's Ken Read to become the 12th FIH President -- the first Asian to grab the post.
Former India players on Monday smelt a rat behind inform Shivendra Singh's three-match suspension, alleging that it was done intentionally to weaken the hosts ahead of their second match against Australia on Tuesday.
International Hockey Federation president Leandro Negre on Wednesday dismissed allegations that the two-match suspension of Indian striker Shivendra Singh for injuring a Pakistani player in the ongoing World Cup was a reflection of FIH's bias against the Asian players.
Star Pakistani drag-flicker Sohail Abbas felt sorry for Shivendra Singh but said the FIH "must have taken a correct decision" while banning the Indian striker for two matches in the hockey World Cup
The ban on him has been reduced by a match but Indian forward Shivendra Singh on Monday said even the lighter penalty amounts to 'injustice' as he has been punished for no fault of his.
In-form Indian striker Shivendra Singh has been suspended from India's next three World Cup matches for hitting a Pakistani player and a jury would decide his fate by Tuesday after his team appealed against the suspension.
Rising political tension has adversely affected the bilateral sporting ties between India and Pakistan but newly-elected FIH chief Narinder Batra on Saturday said the two nations will have to honour their international commitments. The tension at the border has cast a shadow over Pakistan's participation in the next month's FIH Junior World Cup in Lucknow but Batra's comments make it clear that the two neighbours are set to clash against each other on Indian soil.
"Reach and revenue" has been Narinder Batra's agenda going into the polls and soon after becoming the first non-European President of the International Hockey Federation, the veteran Indian sports administrator vowed to take the game across the globe. Batra, who is the Hockey India President, defeated David Balbirnie of Ireland and Australia's Ken Read to become the 12th FIH President -- the first Asian to grab the post in the world body's 92-year-old history. Batra got 68 votes in his favour while Balbirnie and Read managed 29 and 13 votes respectively. Out of 118 voters, only 110 voted while eight abstained.
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