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All foreign teams participating in WC, no security issues: HI
Hockey India brushed aside speculations over foreign teams pulling out of the forthcoming World Cup due to security concerns and said all the 11 nations have confirmed their participation in the mega-event starting Feb 28.
New Delhi: Hockey India on Monday brushed aside
speculations over foreign teams pulling out of the forthcoming
World Cup due to security concerns and said all the 11 nations
have confirmed their participation in the mega-event starting
February 28 here.
"We are fully geared up to host the Hero Honda FIH World
Cup competition here from February 28 to March 13, 2010. Each
of the 11 teams from overseas has confirmed participation," HI
secretary general Narinder Batra said in a statement.
"Australia and Pakistan teams have already arrived in
India and the other teams have intimated their arrival
schedule as well. Technical officials from overseas have also
started arriving. All this augurs well for the success of the
competition," he said.
The statement assumes significance as New Zealand player
Simon Child has decided to pull out of the World Cup, even
though Hockey New Zealand (HNZ) said it was satisfied with the
arrangements made by the Indian government.
Batra claimed all the overseas teams were satisfied with
the security arrangements made for the mega-event.
"The security arrangements were reviewed last week by the
International Security Liaison Group in a meeting with the
representatives of Heads of Missions of 11 nations in India.
"There is a strong commitment from the authorities` to
implement robust security measures to ensure the safety of the
teams and officials at all times. Delhi Police will keep the
people at large informed," Batra said in the statement.
Batra also said that the stage is all set for hosting a
successful and incident free World Cup.
"The International Hockey Federation (FIH) has designated
marketing and event management company Commune Sports and
Entertainment to assist in the organisation of the World Cup.
The Indian Olympic Association and Organising Committee of
2010 Commonwealth Games have lent total support to ensure that
the event is organised in a befitting manner.”
"The redesigned Dhyan Chand National Stadium is fully
operational and ready to stage the World Cup. The necessary
technical arrangements, including the installation of video
scoreboards and the goalposts, have been made. A number of
volunteers, both sport-specific and general, have been
identified and trained," the statement read.
Batra was also happy with the sale of tickets for the
mega event.
"As far as the sale of tickets is concerned, we are happy
that it has been progressing well. Tickets have been made
available online and have been on sale in many Cafe Coffee Day
and other outlets in the Capital. There has been brisk sale of
tickets," he said.
PTI
PTI