Harendra gets reprimanded

BHUBANESWAR: India chief coach Harendra Singh was let off with only a reprimand for publicly criticising the standard of umpiring during the hockey World Cup on Sunday.

Harendra was visibly upset after India lost 2-1 to Netherlands in the quarter-finals on Thursday and had also criticised the umpires for their decisions.

Harendra’s acts did not go down well with the international hockey federation (FIH) as they expressed their unhappiness with the Indian chief coach on Saturday, expressing that they would review his comments.

In a hearing with the tournament’s technical delegate on Sunday, the FIH termed Harendra’s statements as unacceptable.

“The decision also includes that this official reprimand will berecordedbyfihandcanbe taken into account if Harendra Singh breaches the Code of Conduct again at a future event,” FIH said in a statement.

SARDAR BOOKED IN ROAD RAGE CASE

CHANDIGARH: Former India hockey captain Sardar Singh, brother Didar Singh and an aide were booked in a road rage incident here on Sunday involving a bank official. On Didar’s police complaint, Sachin Sharma, a State Bank of India (SBI) branch manager in Chandigarh, was also booked for rash driving. Didar and Sharma were arrested, but were released on bail.

Didar, 36, who has also played for India, in his police complaint alleged that Sharma’s car, coming on the wrong side of the road, collided with his vehicle on an internal road. Didar alleged the impact was such that his wife and sons, aged 6 and 9, fell unconscious. Sharma, who was the first to approach the police, alleged that Didar entered into a heated argument with him after the accident and also called up his brother Sardar, who is deputy superintendent (DSP) with Haryana Police.