New Delhi:
International Hockey Federation on Tuesday reduced the three-match suspension on Indian forward Shivendra Singh for hitting a Pakistani player to a two-game ban, saying the action was not deliberate but still constituted a level two offence.
The three-man Appeal Jury headed by Antonio von Ondraza, FIH-appointed observer for Hockey India election, which reviewed Shivendra's case overruled tournament director Ken Read's decision that the Indian striker deliberately injured a Pakistani opponent in a hockey World Cup match here.
Read had ruled on Monday that Shivendra's action of lifting his hockey stick which injured Pakistani player Fareed Ahmed was a deliberate act and a level two offence and deserved more than a minimum penalty of two matches.
The Jury, although partly upholding the decision of Read, reduced the ban to two-match on Shivendra, which means he will miss India's match against Australia today and against Spain on Thursday.
"The Jury considered that the action of Shivendra Singh in raising his stick was reckless but that he did not deliberately intend to cause injury," an FIH statement issued in the name of Ondraza said.
"It must be clearly understood that such reckless action is not acceptable in international competition. The Jury considers that it constitutes physical assault as referenced in the FIH Code of Conduct Guidelines of Offences and Penalties," it added.
Read had ruled that the offence committed by Shivendra was grave and it deserved more stringent penalty than the minimum of just-two match suspension.
But, the Jury did not agree with the quantum of punishment and handed Shivendra a ban of two matches.
"The Jury concluded in accordance with the Guidelines that the offence was Level 2, was reckless but not deliberate and therefore requires the minimum penalty of a two-match suspension," the statement said.
"The decision of the Appeal Jury shall be final and binding on all parties concerned subject to Regulation 3.5 hereto to Article 18.2 of the FIH Statutes," the statement read.
"The deposit (of appeal by the Indian team management amounting to 600 Euros) shall be refunded," it added.
Shivendra, team manager Harendra Singh and assistant coach Ramandeep Singh attended the Jury hearing held at 9 am in the morning. The other two members of the Jury were Hari Kant and Johan Wakkie.
Hockey India, however, is still disappointed by the decision of the Jury.
"We have just been told about the FIH's decision that his ban has been reduced to two matches," Hockey India Secretary General Narinder Batra said.
"We are not at all happy with the decision because the foul was not intentional. We are disappointed with the jury's verdict but we don't have any option now and he will have to sit out," he added.
Later at a press conference, FIH media officer Arjen Meijer said Read, an Australian, was the best available tournament director and would not have been biased against India.
"He is the best tournament director. He did the same duty in the 2006 World Cup and 2008 Beijing Olympics. I think there should not be any suggestion that he was biased against India as Australia play the home side and Shivendra would not be in that match," Meijer said.
Meijer also said that Read had not "picked" India to send down the message that reckless play would not be tolerated as was stated by home side coach Jose Brasa.
"That was Brasa's view but I think there was nothing like picking of a team to send a message or anything," he said.
Meijer also did not agree with Brasa that he had not experienced any player being banned for three matches in any top hockey competition, pointing out that more stringent punishment had been handed in a Beijing Olympics qualifying tournament in Canada.
Asked if all the World Cup matches are video reviewed, Meijer said, "Yes, after each match the video is reviewed but till now we have not come across any incident which is grave."
The three-man Appeal Jury headed by Antonio von Ondraza, FIH-appointed observer for Hockey India election, which reviewed Shivendra's case overruled tournament director Ken Read's decision that the Indian striker deliberately injured a Pakistani opponent in a hockey World Cup match here.
Read had ruled on Monday that Shivendra's action of lifting his hockey stick which injured Pakistani player Fareed Ahmed was a deliberate act and a level two offence and deserved more than a minimum penalty of two matches.
The Jury, although partly upholding the decision of Read, reduced the ban to two-match on Shivendra, which means he will miss India's match against Australia today and against Spain on Thursday.
"The Jury considered that the action of Shivendra Singh in raising his stick was reckless but that he did not deliberately intend to cause injury," an FIH statement issued in the name of Ondraza said.
"It must be clearly understood that such reckless action is not acceptable in international competition. The Jury considers that it constitutes physical assault as referenced in the FIH Code of Conduct Guidelines of Offences and Penalties," it added.
Read had ruled that the offence committed by Shivendra was grave and it deserved more stringent penalty than the minimum of just-two match suspension.
But, the Jury did not agree with the quantum of punishment and handed Shivendra a ban of two matches.
"The Jury concluded in accordance with the Guidelines that the offence was Level 2, was reckless but not deliberate and therefore requires the minimum penalty of a two-match suspension," the statement said.
"The decision of the Appeal Jury shall be final and binding on all parties concerned subject to Regulation 3.5 hereto to Article 18.2 of the FIH Statutes," the statement read.
"The deposit (of appeal by the Indian team management amounting to 600 Euros) shall be refunded," it added.
Shivendra, team manager Harendra Singh and assistant coach Ramandeep Singh attended the Jury hearing held at 9 am in the morning. The other two members of the Jury were Hari Kant and Johan Wakkie.
Hockey India, however, is still disappointed by the decision of the Jury.
"We have just been told about the FIH's decision that his ban has been reduced to two matches," Hockey India Secretary General Narinder Batra said.
"We are not at all happy with the decision because the foul was not intentional. We are disappointed with the jury's verdict but we don't have any option now and he will have to sit out," he added.
Later at a press conference, FIH media officer Arjen Meijer said Read, an Australian, was the best available tournament director and would not have been biased against India.
"He is the best tournament director. He did the same duty in the 2006 World Cup and 2008 Beijing Olympics. I think there should not be any suggestion that he was biased against India as Australia play the home side and Shivendra would not be in that match," Meijer said.
Meijer also said that Read had not "picked" India to send down the message that reckless play would not be tolerated as was stated by home side coach Jose Brasa.
"That was Brasa's view but I think there was nothing like picking of a team to send a message or anything," he said.
Meijer also did not agree with Brasa that he had not experienced any player being banned for three matches in any top hockey competition, pointing out that more stringent punishment had been handed in a Beijing Olympics qualifying tournament in Canada.
Asked if all the World Cup matches are video reviewed, Meijer said, "Yes, after each match the video is reviewed but till now we have not come across any incident which is grave."
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