HOCKEY INDIA CAN ONLY JOIN PRO LEAGUE IN 2023 NOW: FIH

India withdrew from the ambitious Pro League, allegedly over concerns that the event does not offer direct qualification to the Olympics and hence, could be detrimental to Indian women's team's chances, who are currently world no. 13

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) on Sunday confirmed that India have pulled out of the Hockey Pro League in 2019, the world body’s flagship tournament that will offer Olympic qualifying berths to top four teams in the men’s and women’s events.

Said the FIH in an email to this newspaper, “The inaugural Hockey Pro League will run for four years without any changes to participants. As such, India can only apply to be part of the next cycle of the Pro League, which will begin in 2023. Applications for that event will open in 2021. They cannot join the league any time before that.”

Asked what were the reasons given for India’s pull out, the FIH said, “this question should be answered by Hockey India”.

The news comes a day after India withdrew from the ambitious Pro League, allegedly over concerns that the event does not offer direct qualification to the Olympics and hence, could be detrimental to Indian women’s team’s chances, who are currently world no. 13.

Sources, however, suggest that there is more to the matter than meets the eye. It is no secret that the FIH and Hockey India are currently sharing cold vibes following HI’s written complaint of match-fixing attempts during the recent World League Semi-final men’s tournament in London.

India were livid when former skipper Sardar Singh was called for questioning by the England police in connection with a sexual assault case in the middle of the World League Semi-final. Former HI boss and current FIH head Narinder Batra had posted a hard-hitting statement on social media, which he was later forced to withdraw.

HI, on its part, said it had no comment to offer.