India to field second-string team in SAF Games

Chennai, July 11 (UNI) Hockey in SAF Games will be reduced to a lacklustre affair with both India and Pakistan concentrating on September's World Cup and deciding to send second-string squads to Colombo.

Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) Secretary K Jothikumaran toldUNI that India would send a ''developmental team'' for the August 18-27 Games to be held in Colombo.

Since the senior players Are preparing for the more prestigious World Cup to be held in Germany, the IHF had decided to field a 'developmental' team, he said.

''The team would consist of juniors, who had recently won the title in the six-nation tournament at Poland,'' he added.

About 30 probables were undergoing a preparatory camp at Patiala under the watchful eyes of coach Clarence Lobo and the final team for Colombo would be selected in the next 10 days, Mr Jothikumaran said.

Justyfing the IHF's decision to rest the senior players, Mr Jyothikumaran said, ''The team for World Cup leaves on August 24, a day before the Hockey events conclude in the SAF Games. So it's not possible to field the senior players in SAF Games'' , he added.

The IHF secretary said the federation was also planning to hold a series of matches involving the SAF games team, the World Cup-bound senior team -- now training in Bangalore -- and the under-18 junior team, which is training in New Delhi for a four-nation tournament in Singapore from August three to six.

The dates of the matches and the venue, either in Chennai or Bangalore, would be decided soon, he added.

UNI GV VV AY ND1926