India calms terror fears over hockey World Cup (Roundup)

NEW DELHI - India Wednesday allayed security apprehensions of New Zealand and Australian hockey teams maintaining that it was pulling out all stops for the forthcoming World Cup in the wake of terror threats issued to foreign teams during the 12-team quadrennial event.

The renewed assurance comes after New Zealand’s hockey team, which earlier planned to continue with its trip to the Feb 28-March 13 Hockey World Cup in New Delhi despite an Al Qaeda threat against sports events in India, appeared to be having second thoughts Wednesday.

The team is in Australia’s Perth city to play two practice matches Wednesday and Friday, and will then decide if it will travel to India as per schedule for the World Cup that begins Feb 28, the New Zealand Herald reported.

As for the Australian team, its players say they ready to play, but Hockey Australia says it is awaiting the result of a new security assessment in view of the terror threat.

Assuring security to sportspersons visiting India for the Hockey World Cup and the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament that starts March 12, Home Minister P. Chidambaram stressed that militants would not be allowed to dictate terms.

“All security would be provided to players. No one would be allowed to dictate terms to us, Chidambaram said at a press conference in Jammu after reviewing the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Asia Times Online website published a message reportedly from guerrilla commander Ilyas Kashmiri, whose Kashmir-based 313 Brigade is an operational arm of Al Qaeda. The message warns of potential attacks on the Hockey World Cup, the Indian Premier League cricket tournament and the Commonwealth Games in Delhi later this year.

Hockey India (HI) president Vidya Stokes said no country had officially expressed any doubts about participation in the World Cup.

“There is no reason to panic. We are going to make them (teams) feel comfortable and secure in India,” Stokes told IANS.

“We are in touch with the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and they have not expressed any apprehensions about security. FIH is dealing with the teams and they are satisfied with the arrangements,” Stokes said.

Asked about the reports of Hockey New Zealand and Australia re-assessing the security situation, Stokes said: “All teams are participating and there should be no reason why one team should feel otherwise. Every country knows that it is an important sporting event for India and we cannot afford to be lax on the security front.”

Hockey New Zealand said while the Black Sticks plan to participate in the tournament, it had decided to keep the players in Perth until further notice.

Hockey NZ chief executive Hilary Poole said the safety of the players, coaches and team management was of significant importance and it made sense to further assess the situation before sending them to New Delhi.

“We have been monitoring this situation all along. But the events over the past 24 hours have led us to reassess the situation,” New Zealand Herald quoted Poole as saying.

Hockey Australia (HA) chief executive Mark Anderson said that as of Wednesday, the Kookaburras’ plan to play in the tournament remained unchanged, but pending the outcome of security assessments of the terror threat.

Despite the threat, no Australian player plans to opt out of the upcoming Hockey World Cup in New Delhi, Anderson said. But, he added, “if we receive advice that would change those plans then we’ll re-assess.

The Kookaburras pulled out of the 2004 Champions Trophy in Pakistan with Hockey Australia (HA) citing security fears. Anderson said HA would take a no-risk approach to the upcoming World Cup, Australian news agency AAP reported.

Anderson expects to have a comprehensive briefing on the security situation in India before the team flies out Sunday.

He stressed that the team’s safety was of “paramount importance” and noted extensive security plans were already in place for the tournament.

“We are not forcing any players to go,” said Anderson.

“So at any stage if they are not comfortable with the situation they can elect to opt out of the team, so there is no pressure on team members.

“But at this stage there’s no indication that anyone is going to exercise that option.