WSH starts today sans top Indian hockey stars

New Delhi: World Series Hockey is set to take-off in few hours but the biggest dilemma that the organizers have is the participation of the some key Indian players.

The India hockey stars are riding on the success of the Olympic qualifiers and would have been looking forward to play in the cash-rich tournament. There was controversy surrounding their participation as the relationship between Hockey India which is backed by International Hockey Federation and Indian Hockey Federation, which is backed by the Indian government, is known to everyone.

WSH is considered to be a rebel league and the players who will play in the tournament are not sure about their future in the national side.

Leandro Negre, president of the FIH, who was in New Delhi for the Olympic qualifiers said, “It’s up to the players to decide which tournament they want to play. We can’t stop any player from playing. I don’t know anything about the future of the players as it is the job the national organization in this case, Hockey India to decide about the players.”

Hockey India has not yet openly disallowed any player to participate, but arranging a camp right in the middle of the tournament makes their intention clear. They have announced 48 players in the probable’s list who will undergo a preparatory camp in Bangalore from March 5.

This tussle between the two hockey bodies is making the life difficult for Indian national players most of the players have already signed for their respective teams in the WSH.

As if it was not enough trouble for the cash-rich series, Army and Railways have decided not to release their players for the ‘rebel’ series.

The tournament which is looking to interpret the success that IPL has had in the country has more reasons to worry about than to celebrate. Chandigarh Comets and Bhopal Badshahs will play the first match of the long awaited tournament but god only knows how the tournament will end.