Five-time champions India weretoday forced to withdraw from next month's prestigious SultanAzlan Shah Cup hockey tournament after the Sports Authority ofIndia refused to bear the travel expenditure of the nationalteam.
According to reliable source in Hockey India, SAI DGGopal Krishan has refused to clear the airfare of the team,citing inflated budget.
"We have withdrawn the national team from the Azlan ShahCup after the government refused to bear the to and froairfares stating that we have exceeded the budget," a reliablesource told PTI on conditions of anonymity.
"It is an unfortunate incident as it is the SAI who hasgiven us the go-ahead to hold the national camp for thistournament here. And now they are saying no.
"It is demoralising for the players. The government justhad to bear the airfares as all other expenditures, includinglodging and food during the tournament were supposed to betaken care by the local organisers," he said.
On part of SAI, a senior official informed that theproposal submitted by the Hockey India was overshooting thespecific budget earmarked for the tour.
"We can't provide the airfares as we have certain limitsthat we can't exceed," the official said in defence.
India, who won the Azlan Shah Cup five times (1985, 1991,1995, 2009, 2010), were the bronze medallist in the lastedition of tournament.
Keeping in mind the FIH Junior World Cup to be held inthe country later this year, India had opted to field a young,new-look squad under Danish Mujataba for this year's AzlanShah Cup to be held in Ipoh, Malaysia from March 9 to 17.
Apart from India, the other participating nations in thisyear's Azlan Shah Cup are arch-rivals Pakistan, Australia,South Korea, New Zealand and hosts Malaysia.
Incidentally, the government's sudden move to derail thenational hockey team's trip to Malaysia came a day after HIaccused the security staffs of SAI-controlled Major DhyanChand Stadium of abusing its offcials.