Hockey mess: Ministry seeks report from HI

New Delhi: The Sports Ministry on Friday sought details of the reportedly poor facilities given to players at the Senior National Hockey Championships in Bhopal from Hockey India and the local organisers.

The Ministry's action comes after reports claimed that the players were lodged in cramped and unventilated rooms in the grueling summer heat.

The Uttar Pradesh team had reportedly been lodged by the organisers in a poorly ventilated and cramped dormitory with eight of them having to share a room with a single attached bathroom.

"We have asked for a detailed report about the facilities being given to the participating players. We have also asked the details of the particular case of Uttar Pradesh players about how they had been allotted a cramped room with very poor facilities," a sports ministry source told PTI.

The Uttar Pradesh team was also reportedly left stranded at the railway station for a couple of hours as there was nobody from the organisers to lead them to their accommodation.

Hockey India Secretary General Narinder Batra washed his hands off the incident and said it was the responsibility of the Madhya Pradesh Sports Department, which is hosting the tournament, to provide accommodation.

"We are not responsible for providing accommodation to the participating players. It is the duty of the Madhya Pradesh Sports Department which is hosting the tournament in the absence of a recognised state body. HI is providing only logistical support and coordinating work," he said.

But Batra did admit that the Uttar Pradesh team had complained about the poor accommodation given to them.

"There were a few hiccups but I can assure you that the problems will be solved after the tournament starts. There are first day glitches in all tournaments.

"There were problems even during last year's World Cup initially but the tournament went on to become a huge success later on," he said.

Altogether 32 teams will take part in the Championships which began at the Tatya Tope Stadium here. The tournament is being revived after of four years.