The Hindu : Punjab Cops — a law unto themselves

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 16, 2002

Sport

Sport - Hockey

Punjab Cops — a law unto themselves

BANGALORE April 15. Performing or under performing in the last set of league matches in order to select your opponent in the knockout stage is being increasingly a done thing. Steve Waugh did it in the last World Cup cricket tournament and Stephen Fleming returned the compliment in the latest tri-series in Australia. But the way Punjab Police played in the last league match of the U & I hockey tournament left a bad taste in the mouth. The match witnessed ugly scenes, rank bad performances and naturally the small crowd showed its displeasure with bottle and brick throwing.

The semi-final line up had already been decided when Indian Oil Corporation and Punjab Police clashed in the last league match on Sunday. What was left to be decided was the toppers in the group on order to finalise the A vs B in the semi-finals. By all reckoning Punjab Police with its awesome showing in the previous matches should have emerged winner. But Punjab Police had a different agenda.

Preferring not to play Indian Airlines in the semi-final, (a move which at best would have bought 24 hours time if the team was strong enough to enter the final) Punjab Police deliberately underperformed in the final league match. Making a mockery of the match, the cops played well below par and incurred the ire of the spectators.

What happened then was very damaging to the game. Baljit Singh Dhillon a seasoned international lost his temper and threw his hockey stick at the crowd. Pargat Singh, player-cum-coach of the Punjab Police team and also a veteran international player behaved abominably and his bodyguard made inciting gestures with his sten gun, an action which could have horrendous repercussions.

K. Krishnamurthy, Secretary of the KSHA, was also officiating as umpire in the match. He called the two captains and cautioned them of the consequences of unsporting play. Both teams could face suspension from the tournament, which though a drastic measure, could well be enforced. The game then progressed but on predictable lines. Punjab Police suffering a 0-3 defeat.

One question that springs to mind is if Ashish Ballal can be kept out of the Indian team on disciplinary grounds, what right does Baljit Singh Dhillon have to be a member of the squad after his deplorable behaviour? And seeing Punjab Police's highhanded behaviour in its past few matches, should not the team be banned from playing in further tournaments?

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