Khandekar, Shivendra return money to WSH

Top Indian hockey players Tushar Khandekar and Shivendra Singh have returned the contract money paid to them by Nimbus for their participation in the World Series Hockey (WSH) and termed their contract as void.

Singh returned Rs 90,000 while Khandekar Rs 60,000 respectively through cheques, dated March 15, along with their letters to the Nimbus, which in collaboration with Indian Hockey Federation has organised the hockey league.

The money is 40 percent of their contract fee, given to them in advance.

The letters stated that since the league is being conducted on the dates that clash with their national duty, they regard their contracts as "voidable" and induced by "fraud".

"I was assured by the representatives of Nimbus that the league would be a sanctioned league and the dates would be scheduled with the permission of the concerned authorities so as to avoid any conflict with calendar of the national duty...

"I have come to know that these assurances were untrue and were made with the sole objective of inducing me entering into the agreement. The agreement therefore is voidable, being an agreement induced by fraud. The terms of the agreement also constitute an agreement in restraint of trade, and in the absence of severability clause, the entire agreement is void on this ground alone," the letter by Khandekar read.

Singh also wrote almost the same letter.

"Nimbus has committed a fundmental breach of its obligations under the agreement and has demonstated its intent to not to perform its obligations, thereby repudiating the agreement," he wrote.

IHF had threatened to impose ban on players, if they will participate in the unsanctioned league. Resultantly, all top current Indian players and many star Pakistani players opted out of the league.