Shers lose 50% of prize money due to unruly behaviour

Chandigarh, Mar 6 (UNI) The Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) today imposed 50 per cent fine on runners-up Sher-e-Jalandhar for manhandling umpire Satinder Sharma in the third and deciding best-of-three finals against Orissa Steelers in the Premier Hockey League (PHL) at the Sector 42 Hockey Stadium here last night.

Shers who lost the match 4-3, got Rs 15 lakh while winners Orissa Steelers pocketed Rs 40 lakh.

Announcing this here, IHF Secretary General Jyothikumaran said ''IHF strongly condemned the unruly and disgraceful behaviour shown by Sher-e-Jalandhar team in the fourth quarter in yesterday's third and deciding final of the third PHL. This sort of behaviour can never be encouraged and therefore the IHF has decided to take strong punitive measures so that similar incidents are not repeated in future.'' ''It has been decided by the organising committee that 50 per cent of the total prize money will be deducted from the Jalandhar team to set an example to others. The deducted amount would be added up in the total prize money to be disbursed in the next edition of the PHL,'' he added.

Mr Jyothikumaran said action against individual players involved in this or other such ugly incidents would be taken as per the report given by the PHL Tournament Director Shakeel Qureshi who has been asked to submit his report at the earliest.

He said the IHF president K P S Gill prior to the start of the tournament had conveyed to the team managements of the strong action against their players who indulge in unruly behaviour and create indiscipline.

Meanwhile, Punjab Governor Gen (retd) S F Rodrigues, who is also Administrator of Chandigarh, expressed his deep concern over the incident involving the Sher-e-Jalandhar players in manhandling international umpire Satinder Sharma yesterday.

Chandigarh Sports Director Inderjit Singh Sandhu said that Gen Rodrigues spoke to Mr Gill and urged him to take necessary action against the players who were involved in creating indiscipline.

Consequently, the IHF chief immediately announced financial penalty of 50 per cent on the prize money Shers had won.

According to Mr Sandhu, the Punjab Governor also desired that the IHF must take necessary steps to curb such incidents in future.

UNI