Hockey World Cup: Media allowed coverage after protest

NEW DELHI: Mismanagement in the Hockey World Cup, beginning here on Sunday, is not limited only to former players but media also walked out of the promotional event prior to the tournament and the FIH was compelled to change its decision after media’s big protest.

The sports journalists present in India were stopped from covering the training and practice matches in the hockey World Cup on which they walked out in protest from the promotional event.

As soon as FIH communication manager Arjen Meijer rose to speak, all the journalists present at the press conference to announce Karbonn Mobiles as one of the FIH partners in the World Cup starting on Sunday left the venue.

The journalists did not allow Meijer to speak and bombarded him with questions on why they were being barred from covering the training sessions and practice matches.

After that the media persons walked out of the venue.

After negotiating with the journalists, the FIH official assured them that he himself as a journalist did not agree with the conditions.

However, it was decided after meeting with the Indian Olympic Association and the World Cup organizers that media would be allowed from today to cover all the training sessions and the matches of the World Cup and the sports journalists would also have an access to the players.