Pillay hits out at HI, IHF

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Dhanraj Pillay (left) was seen in action during the World Series Hockey.

Former captain Dhanraj Pillay is appalled by India’s dismal performance at the London Olympics and has squarely put the blame on the two warring groups, Hockey India and Indian Hockey Federation, engaged in a tussle to control the sport in the country.

“Indian hockey is dying because of the ego clash between HI and IHF. Since the start of the Olympic Games, we never lost five matches on the trot,” Pillay was quoted as saying on Thursday.
Pillay, who represented India at the Olympics four times from 1992 to 2004, put the blame on the politics within the federation that forced him to quit the sport.
“If HI continues to rule Indian hockey, our performance will not improve in the next five years. There is plenty of politics in our country and I am a victim of politics. If not for politics I could have played another Olympics.”
Pillay has also expressed a desire to be a part of the administration governing the sport in the country.
“It’s high time the sports minister should take a final call now. He should dissolve both HI and IHF and form a new unified body which should have sportspersons in it. I am ready to be part of it. I want to be in the administration (of hockey),” he said.
India have lost all their five matches of the group stage in this Olympics and will now have to beat South Africa on Saturday to avoid the embarrassment of a wooden spoon finish at the London Games.