India accused of fielding overage players in Junior Asia Cup

Hyderabad, Jul 15 (UNI) Rattled by the comprehensive defeats, Singapore and Malaysia have alleged that India has fielded overage players in the ongoing Junior Asia Cup hockey tournament here.

However, the Indian team officials have denied the claims of Singapore and Malaysian coaches who said they were shocked to see that the Indian team, which has been unbeaten in the tournament so far, has some senior players in its squad.

Singapore coach Chiow Chuan Lim and the Malaysian coach Muralidharan said it has been a normal practice, not only in Asian countries, but even the European teams also follow such examples and demanded that the International Hockey Federations (FIH) bring out some scientific tests to address the issue.

''Not only the teams from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, but even the Europeans have been fielding overage players in FIH recognised tournaments for a long long time. The practise is very much prevalent in the junior World Cups,'' Lim suggested.

''The FIH and all the continental federations have to address this problem and put in place a scientific approach to eradicate this,'' he said.

A visibly fumed Muralidharan endorsed his Singaporean counterpart's comments and said if he had any documentary proof, he would have taken up the matter to the highest level.

''It has been a common practice for a couple of years. We cannot make a complaint but we have been requesting them to resolve this issue of teams fielding overage players in FIH and AHC recognised tournaments.

''We do not have written proofs to challenge the issue at the highest level but our perception is that these players are overage,'' he claimed.

UNI RAR RKM HS1636