It was an unprecedented situation for Ajitpal Singh, captain of the 1975 World Cup-winning hockey team. He could not enter the Dhyan Chand National Stadium, the venue of the World Cup hockey tournament, on Monday because of the stringent security arrangements.
By the time he eventually did, following a furious message to the Hockey India officials inside the stadium, Ajitpal was visibly annoyed.
Ajitpal had arrived for official work but was stopped by the guards. “This is humiliating,” he fumed.
His pleading did not help and he was forced to contact his colleagues inside. “I have seen this stadium come up and now I can't enter the place. It is not the fault of the guards. They are doing their job,” said Ajitpal.
Hurt by the incident, Ajitpal told the SAI official who had come to escort him in, “If this happens again, I will boycott the World Cup.”
