Hockey in the city suffered another body blow. The organisers of the World Series Hockey (WSH), featuring some of the finest players from across the world, have decided not to have any matches in Hyderabad.
“Yes, it is true. We are not hosting them,” says a senior official of Hyderabad Hockey Association which is in fact affiliated to the Indian Hockey Federation under whose purview the WSH is being scheduled this month-end.
This has shocked the hockey fraternity given the fact that only a few weeks ago, the WSH organisers even paid Rs. 2 lakh as advance for getting the two astro turf venues at Gachibowli Stadium ready for the league.
And in fact, Hyderabad team was one of the projected contenders before lack of title-sponsors saw Bhopal make an entry into the league.
According to highly-placed sources in the HHA, it is the fear of the rival group (to the ruling set-up) moving the court of law to get a stay on the conduct of the matches that has changed the original plans of the organisers.
