New Delhi, May 07: As the "Bring Back Dhanraj Pillay" campaign gathered momentum, the Indian Hockey Federation today gave hints that the veteran striker may be included in the fitness camp at Barog, Himachal Pradesh. "The IHF president (K P S Gill) has made it clear that any player who has played in recent tournaments could be included in the fitness camp in Barog and in future camps before the Olympics," IHF secretary K Jothikumaran told over phone from Chennai.
The IHF has all along been maintaining that the possibility of taking one or two players more than the 30 hopefuls could be considered for the camp.
"We have never said that who are in and who are out of the Olympics. We have kept the door open for three to four players to join the Barog camp," he said in an apparent reference to three omitted senior players -- Pillay, forward Baljit Singh Dhillon and defender Baljit Singh Saini.
Gill on Sunday had announced that 12 players and the members of the 18-member "experimental" team to Japan would be included in the Barog camp.
But Jothikumaran said that IHF may not include all the members of the "experimental" team in the fitness camp.
"We never said that we will take all of them. We may replace them with others. So anyone can get into the camp," he said without giving a direct response whether the trio could be included in the camp.
The camp at Barog will start on May 13 with 13 players as expert drag-flicker Jugraj Singh has also been asked to join.
Bureau Report