New Delhi: The Indian hockey team management organised a special session for the players in the just-concluded national camp in Bangalore to create awareness about corruption in the wake of the recent spot-fixing scandal in IPL 6.
India captain Sardar Singh informed that a special class was conducted by the team's coaching staff to educate the players not only about fixing but also about dope-related issues. "Chief coach Michael Nobbs and the SAI head in Bangalore took special classes on spot-fixing and doping about 10 days back," Sardar said.
"During the session, they told all the players to stay away from unknown people and inform the team management immediately if somebody approaches us with any offer," Sardar said on the eve of the men's and women's team's departure for the FIH World League Round 3 (semi-finals) to be held in Rotterdam from June 13-23.
Asked if hockey was vulnerable to corruption just like cricket, Sardar said: "With money coming up in hockey, there is always a possibility. Just like IPL, Hockey India League can also be a soft target because there is money. But for a player the main thing is how he or she handles such a situation."
Hockey India secretary general Narinder Batra said that as a precautionary measure, the federation has banned the entry of players' agents from the national camps and team hotels.
"We are taking all necessary measures. We are not a big body like BCCI but we are trying to put in place a system to check such incidents," Batra told PTI. "We have already banned players' agents from attending national camps and hotels. We have also asked all the players who are under HI's contract to submit their phone numbers to us which we will send to the police for monitoring," he added.
India's chief coach Micheal Nobbs too feels that with the influx of money in the game, hockey is susceptible to corruption. "Any sport where money is involved could be a target for the bookies, but I hope hockey is spared," Nobbs said. The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has put out a module and has an anti-corruption regulation which we follow like every other hockey-playing nation. We regularly conduct sessions with the players on corruption and doping issues," the Australian added.
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