Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Hockey fans burn KPS Gill’s effigy




Activists from the Indian Hockey Fan Club burn effigy of KPS Gill

New Delhi: Seeking the ouster of an “autocratic” K P S Gill, angry fans yesterday burnt the effigy of the Indian Hockey Federation President and demanded an overhauling of the IHF to save the sport.

Peeved with India’s recent failure to make it to the Beijing Olympics, the Hockey Fans Club of India held a demonstration here and condemned the “lackadaisical attitude” of the federation towards the game.

Shouting slogans against Gill, the fans beat up the effigy of the IHF chief before setting it on fire.

“The situation is so grim that we have lost our standing in the game. The Federation has not taken any step to check its deterioration,” said Avtar Singh Verka, Secretary of the club. “We share the national grief over India’s failure to reach the Olympics. We demand the removal of Gill. Besides, Joaquim Carvalho’s resignation be accepted and Australia’s Ric Charlesworth be handed over the full charge of the team.”

New set of officials

Verka said a new set of officials should be appointed to run the IHF keeping in view the 2010 World Cup to be held in India.

“A new team of the Federation should be elected ahead of the World Cup and matches of this event be held in Delhi,” he said.
mumbai news

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