New Delhi: International Hockey Federation today reduced the three-match suspension on Indian forward Shivendra Singh for hitting a Pakistani player to a two-game ban, saying the action was not deliberate but still constituted a level two offence.
The three-man Appeal Jury headed by Antonio von Ondraza, FIH-appointed observer for Hockey India election, which reviewed Shivendra's case overruled tournament director Ken Read's decision that the Indian striker deliberately injured a Pakistani opponent in a hockey World Cup match here.
Read had ruled yesterday that Shivendra's action of
lifting his hockey stick which injured Pakistani player Fareed
Ahmed was a deliberate act and a level two offence and
deserved more than a minimum penalty of two matches.
The Jury, although partly upholding the decision of Read,
reduced the ban to two-match on Shivendra, which means he will
miss India's match against Australia today and against Spain
on Thursday.
"The Jury considered that the action of Shivendra Singh
in raising his stick was reckless but that he did not
deliberately intend to cause injury," an FIH statement issued
in the name of Ondraza said.
"It must be clearly understood that such reckless action
is not acceptable in international competition. The Jury
considers that it constitutes physical assault as referenced
in the FIH Code of Conduct Guidelines of Offences and
Penalties," it added. Read had ruled that the offence committed by Shivendra
was grave and it deserved more stringent penalty than the
minimum of just-two match suspension.
But, the Jury did not agree with the quantum of
punishment and handed Shivendra a ban of two matches.
"The Jury concluded in accordance with the Guidelines
that the offence was Level 2, was reckless but not deliberate
and therefore requires the minimum penalty of a two-match
suspension," the statement said.
"The decision of the Appeal Jury shall be final and
binding on all parties concerned subject to Regulation 3.5
hereto to Article 18.2 of the FIH Statutes," the statement
read.
"The deposit (of appeal by the Indian team management
amounting to 600 Euros) shall be refunded," it added.
Shivendra, team manager Harendra Singh and assistant
coach Ramandeep Singh attended the Jury hearing held at 9 am
in the morning. The other two members of the Jury were Hari
Kant and Johan Wakkie.
Hockey India, however, is still disappointed by the
decision of the Jury.
"We have just been told about the FIH's decision that his
ban has been reduced to two matches," Hockey India Secretary
General Narinder Batra said.
"We are not at all happy with the decision because the
foul was not intentional. We are disappointed with the jury's
verdict but we don't have any option now and he will have to
sit out," he added. Later at a press conference, FIH media officer Arjen
Meijer said Read, an Australian, was the best available
tournament director and would not have been biased against
India.
"He is the best tournament director. He did the same duty
in the 2006 World Cup and 2008 Beijing Olympics. I think there
should not be any suggestion that he was biased against India
as Australia play the home side and Shivendra would not be in
that match," Meijer said.
Meijer also said that Read had not "picked" India to send
down the message that reckless play would not be tolerated as
was stated by home side coach Jose Brasa.
"That was Brasa's view but I think there was nothing like
picking of a team to send a message or anything," he said.
Meijer also did not agree with Brasa that he had not
experienced any player being banned for three matches in
any top hockey competition, pointing out that more stringent
punishment had been handed in a Beijing Olympics qualifying
tournament in Canada.
Asked if all the World Cup matches are video reviewed,
Meijer said, "Yes, after each match the video is reviewed but
till now we have not come across any incident which is grave."
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, March 02, 2010, 18:57