Hockey Olympic training camp gets Sports Ministry's nod

The Indian hockey team's preparation for the London Olympics is back on track after the Sports Ministry approved the team's training camp, which will start at the SAI centre in Bangalore on Tuesday.

Team India's Olympic preparations had been put in jeopardy after the Ministry failed to clear the camp, which was scheduled to begin from Monday, in time.

That prompted an emergency meeting of Hockey India and the Sports Authority of India and the matter was sorted out. The Men in blue can now finally begin their Olympic preparation in Bangalore from Tuesday.

The camp will have 48 probables for the Olympics. 

None of the key players of the Olympic squad who signed-up for the World Series Hockey showed up for the unsanctioned league because they were to attend the camp.

The delay on the part of the Sports Ministry, which was intimated about the camp last November, had left the players in the lurch.

Hockey India had submitted a proposal to the ministry on November 19, requesting for the commencement of a camp for the senior men's hockey team subject to qualification for the London Games.

HI sent another letter to the ministry and SAI on December 8 and, after India qualified for the Olympics after winning the qualifiers, the federation wrote another letter on February 27th, requesting the ministry to approve and sanction the camp.

On March 1, SAI executive director PC Kashyap also wrote to the ministry to convene a meeting to discuss the approval of the proposed camp.