Bhubaneswar: Pakistan's obscene gestures after their win over hosts India here in the Champions Trophy semi-final on Saturday and FIH's comment that "no action is warranted" has invited scathing response from Hockey India (HI) President, Narinder Batra, who said if such "uncouth behaviour" is within "tolerable limits", then HI is "not interested in host any more tournaments".
Following the final whistle in India's 3-4 defeat on Saturday, Pakistan players took their shirts off and ran towards the stands and Indian players making lewd remarks with obscene gestures, including a finger salute.
That forced Pakistan coach Shehanz Sheikh to apologise on behalf of the team, but the FIH, despite saying they will investigate, let the players off without any action.
"Hockey India is disappointed with FIH TD (Tournament Director) decision conveyed to Hockey India on the behaviour of Pakistan team towards the crowd in Bhubhaneshwar, Odisha, after semi-finals of Champions Trophy on 13 December, 2014," Batra wrote in his Facebook post.
The FIH Tournament Director, Wiert Doyers, issued a press release after strong reaction in the media, saying "it is difficult to find any particular miscreant," whereas every person present at the Kalinga Stadium here saw that each member of the Pakistan team gestured obscenely.
"The behaviour in question concerned many members of the Pakistan team. It is difficult to find any particular miscreant, and it is possible that the behaviour of the players may have been a reaction. Mr. Shahnaz Sheikh has apologised and assured me that this behaviour will not occur again. Given these matters, I've decided that no further action is warranted," Doyers said in the statement.
But Batra, who is not present for the tournamennt due to family reasons, said that FIH's inaction is unacceptable to Hockey India.
"I am instructing my CEO to inform FIH that in case this kind of behaviour by teams is within normal and tolerable limits of FIH, then we may not be interested to host any more tournaments in India and the tournaments may be shifted to countries which tolerate this kind of nonsense and uncouth behaviour," the HI president wrote on Facebook.
Batra also said there will be no friendly series with Pakistan until their federation issues an unconditional apology.
"Further there will now be no friendly series on annual basis with Pakistan until an unconditional apology is received from Pakistan Hockey Federation on the uncouth and undesired behaviour of their athletes with spectators and media after the semi-finals on 13 December 2014," he said.
Pakistan will play Germany in the final, and they can expect a hostile response from the crowd on Sunday. India take on Australia for the bronze medal before that at 1715 IST.
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