Tight security for Hockey World Cup due to terror threat - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Tight security measures will be in place for players participating in the Hockey World Cup following a threat from an al-Qaeda operative that forthcoming sports events in the country would be targeted by them. Vidhya Stokes, the Vice President of the Indian Olympic Association, gave the assurance that players' security would be of prime importance at a press conference in New Delhi. "Till now we have not received any such news to worry about. We all know that our government is aware and is well prepared. Proper measures have been taken to ensure safety all over the nation; it is not just a matter of concern about Delhi. No team needs to worry about anything as everything is in place and proper security will be provided by the government," said Stokes. The Hockey Championship is scheduled to start in national capital New Delhi from February 28. The Hero Honda FIH World Cup will have 12 teams representing their countries. The event is being hosted at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in New Delhi. The tournament was started in 1971 and is held every four years. Recently, Ilyas Kashmiri, in an interview, a top al Qaeda commander, warned international players against participating in sports events scheduled in India this year. Kashmiri even told the media that people visiting India would also be responsible for the consequences. A bomb blast at the German Bakery in Pune shocked the countrymen on Saturday (February 13). It killing 11 persons and injured another 60 people. It was the first major attack since the 2008 Mumbai massacre.