Hockey crisis far from being over, as striking players refuse to be flexibile - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

The persisting crisis in Indian hockey worsened on Tuesday as striking players walked out of an inconclusive meeting with Hockey India officials here on Tuesday. The adamant attitude of hockey players prompted the establishment to serve a fresh 48-hour ultimatum to all the striking players to resume training or get axed from the World Cup squad. As HI stated that it lacked the required money to pay the protesting players, who are demanding Rs 4.5 lakh each apart from a graded contract system, the campers were in no mood to relent at the meeting. Meanwhile, the HI president AK Mattoo termed all this as a sad development and said that the players chose money over national colours at a time when the February 28 - March 13 mega-event is knocking at the door.