Hockey India League: Apologise if you want to play, India tells Pakistan

Greenshirts deny approaching neighbours for participation

KARACHI: With the Hockey India League (HIL) set to begin from January 18, Hockey India (HI) and Indian players have demanded another apology from Pakistan players for the 2014 Champions Trophy incident as a prerequisite for the Greenshirts’ participation in the event.

However, Pakistan have denied approaching HI to take part in the competition.

The 2014 Champions Trophy semi-final saw Pakistan players making offensive gestures towards the Indian crowd in the heat of the moment as the side defeated the hosts 4-3, for which three members of the national team were banned from the final.

Captain Sardar Singh has backed the exclusion of Pakistani players. "Pakistan players are suffering, but what they did during the Champions Trophy was unacceptable,” Singh told PTI. “They still haven't apologised for their behaviour, so I feel they shouldn't be allowed to participate in the HIL.”

Pakistan players have not featured in the HIL so far, although they were part of the first edition of the competition in 2013. Even then the Pakistani players could not feature in the tournament as they were asked to leave before the league started due to protests from political groups.

Meanwhile, Pakistan captain Muhammad Imran told The Express Tribune that none of his players have contacted HI in this regard, adding, “Our first priority is Pakistan’s respect, so we won’t go to HI to apologise just to be a part of HIL or to earn money.”

He further said that most of the players are busy at the training camp in Karachi for the South Asian Games and some will be leaving for Hong Kong Hockey League, which will begin on January 17.