Road accident deaths drop by 50% in Saudi Arabia    SR 3.95 million fines for 3 employees of a company and 6-month jail for one for violating Capital Market Law    Qassim emir launches 52 health projects costing a total of SR456 million    BD and INS partner to elevate standards of infusion care in MENAT    Dubai Design Week launches its 10th edition, celebrating creativity and innovation    GASTAT: Passengers of public transport bus and train soar 176% and 33% respectively in 2023    Fakeeh Care Group reports 9M-2024 net profit of SR195.3 million, up 49% y-o-y driven by solid revenue growth and robust profitability    Italy's 'Libra' to arrive in Albania with just eight migrants on board    South Africa shuts border crossing with Mozambique over poll unrest    French families sue TikTok over harmful content that allegedly led to suicides    Harris tells supporters 'never give up' and urges peaceful transfer of power    HRT does not impact life expectancy — UK health body    Liam Payne's body to be flown back to the UK    Suspect arrested for banking fraud totaling SR493 million as Nazaha pursues corruption charges    Arab leaders and heads of state congratulate US President-elect Donald Trump    Neymar suffers muscle tear, out for 4-6 weeks    Crown Prince hails Saudi medical team that performed world's first fully robotic heart transplant    Al Nassr secures 5-1 victory over Al Ain to edge closer to knockout stage    Al Ahli extends perfect start with 5-1 victory over Al Shorta    Mitrovic's hat-trick leads Al Hilal to 3-0 victory over Esteghlal    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Muted Eid celebrations for millions of Nigerian Muslims    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Plans for hockey series shot down
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 28 - 01 - 2011

NEW DELHI: Field hockey's governing body Thursday refused permission for a new multi-million-dollar world series in India modeled on the popular Indian Premier League cricket tournament.
The Indian television company Nimbus and the unrecognized Indian Hockey Federation were planning the World Series of Hockey (WSH) to start in November or December this year.
They hoped to attract the world's top stars to play for cash-rich franchises for hefty sums of money, like the three-season-old IPL Twenty20 event that revolutionized cricket.
The Swiss-based International Hockey Federation (FIH) said it was concerned at reports that players were being contacted by WSH agents and threatened to ban anyone associated with the initiative.
“The FIH does not recognize the World Series of Hockey,” the governing body said in a statement. “Matches in the World Series may conflict with major FIH events, which may compromise an athlete's participation in their national team's program.
“Any player and any association that participates in the World Series may render both ineligible to participate in any FIH tournament, including Olympic qualifying tournaments and the Olympic Games.”
The FIH said it was already working toward starting a professional league in India in collaboration with Hockey India, the official body running the sport in the country.
Hockey India was formed in 2008 after the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF), headed previously by decorated police officer K.P.S. Gill, was delisted by the government amid corruption allegations.
But the IHF won a reprieve in court and resumed functioning as a parallel body, even though the world governing body continued to recognize Hockey India alone.
Organizers of the rebel league are considering legal action against the FIH. “There appears to be a Hockey India-FIH nexus,” IHF Secretary General Ashok Mathur told Reuters Thursday. “The IHF has been revived by a High Court order, which is binding on the government and the Indian Olympic Association as well. We are the genuine body authorised to run hockey in the country.”
The game's governing body could not simply stop a player from earning a living, he added. “This is an unnecessary interference and we are consulting our lawyers. We have got a huge response from overseas players and I don't think there should be any threat to the event.”
Organizers paraded India captain Rajpal Singh and some of his teammates when launching the league in Mumbai last month. The IPL itself was started by the Indian cricket board in 2008 to counter a rebel Twenty20 league that was begun by another television network, Zee Telefilms, in 2007.
The Zee-owned Indian Cricket League folded after two years.


Clic here to read the story from its source.