Commonwealth Games: Hockey teams of India withdraw from Commonwealth Games, give a befitting reply to Britain

New Delhi, 5/10: India on Tuesday withdrew from the hockey competition of the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games due to concerns related to Covid-19 and Britain’s discriminatory quarantine rules towards travelers of the country. Hockey India President Gyanandro Ningobam has conveyed the federation’s decision to Indian Olympic Association (IOA) President Narinder Batra.

Hockey India has said that there is only 32 days gap between Birmingham Commonwealth Games (28 July to 8 August) and Hangzhou Asian Games (10-25 September) and they do not want to take the risk by sending their players to the UK, which is affected by the coronavirus pandemic. It has been included in the most affected countries. Ningobam wrote, ‘The Asian Games 2024 is the continental qualification competition for the Paris Olympic Games and keeping in mind the priority of the Asian Games, Hockey India cannot take the risk of any player from Indian teams getting infected with Kovid-19 during the Commonwealth Games. ‘