MUMBAI: The Delhi High Court?s ruling notwithstanding, the International Hockey Federation Wednesday maintained its stance that the World Series Hockey remains an unsanctioned event.

The Delhi HC had on Monday ruled that the Indian players must be allowed to participate in the cash rich league provided it does not clash with their national commitments.

Talking to reporters at the launch of Hockey Olympic Qualifiers in Delhi, FIH CEO Kelly Fairweather reiterated that there was no question of granting recognition to the league since it is co-promoted by Indian Hockey Federation, which is not recognised by the world body.

?We have read the judgement and it actually reinforces the rules of FIH. As far as WSH is concerned, there is no change in our stance, it is an unsanctioned event because IHF is not a member of FIH,? Fairweather said.

?We have been clear about our position from the very beginning. The international calendar is packed. Where is the space? There are six qualification tournaments till the Olympics, which means there is international hockey every week,? he said.

He also questioned the commitment of players, who have signed up for the league, towards their national duties. ?Anyone planning to play six weeks of a private league before the Olympics is certainly not serious about the game.?

While affirming that the FIH and its national members will act against players who play for WSH, Fairweather hastened to add that participating or not was solely a player?s prerogative.

?The rules are very clear and we will go according to our rules. But at the end of the day the players need to make their own decision,? Fairweather stated.

?We can?t stop anyone from joining any team. That?s his or her personal decision. But our stance is pretty clear regarding WSH,? the FIH CEO maintained.
Meanwhile, debunking FIH CEO?s statement, Nimbus the commercial partner of IHF, has said that the WSH is a domestic event and does not clash with the players national commitments.

Nimbus COO Yannick Colaco said there are examples galore where national competitions and club-based leagues go hand-in-hand. He cited the example of African Nations Cup which is held even as club football was on in Europe.

?Even in cricket there are bilateral series (in other countries) when the IPL is being played in India. In WSH, 80 per cent would be Indian players. So where is the problem," he pointed out.

MUMBAI: Close on the heels of announcing the Chennai franchisee, Nimbus? hockey league initiative World Series Hockey (WSH) has announced the Bangalore franchise, which has been acquired by Sporting Ace.

Sporting Ace is a part of the Zentrum Group and has Bollywood action hero Suniel Shetty as the Chief Mentor.

Zentrum Group is a global player in the field of energy, chemicals, education, sports, information technology, consulting, media and outsourcing and works with corporate houses, governments, and institutions. The franchise has been called Karnataka Lions

Shetty said, "I am proud to spearhead the Karnataka Lions in World Series Hockey. I have been the brand ambassador for Indian Hockey and felt it was about time I took a more active role in creating a global platform for our hockey players to excel."

Sporting Ace MD Sagar Pol Chowdhury said, "The Bangalore franchise will be much more than just a profitable venture for us. We are committed to invest in sports and the newly formed entity Sporting Ace will look at promoting multiple sports and help build necessary infrastructure. WSH is the first and most important step in that direction. I am delighted to have Suniel Shetty as the Chief Mentor and his passion for sports is a perfect fit with the vision of our organisation"

Nimbus Sport COO Yannick Colaco said, "We are indeed proud to welcome Suniel Shetty and Sporting Ace to the WSH family. It is heartening to see the passion for Hockey they bring to the table and I am confident this will translate into an extremely large and loyal fan base for the Karnataka Lions".

The WSH will be held from 17 December, 2011 to 22 January, 2012 and will involve 200 players -- Indian and international -- who will showcase their talent in 61 matches. It will be a multi-city franchise-based League with players being allocated to the teams based on the internationally accepted and practiced ?draft? system.

The inaugural edition of the league will comprise eight teams out of Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Pune, Bhopal, Punjab, Ranchi and Rourkela.

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