Gurbaj Singh is eligible to play with immediate effect after Hockey India (HI) reduced the nine-month ban imposed on the senior India midfielder on Saturday.
The duration of ban imposed on Gurbaj was from August 10 till May 9 next year after assistant coach Jude Felix had submitted a report post the conclusion ofHWl Semi-Finals providing feedback on the player’s misconduct during the last three tournaments — HWl Semi-Finals, India vs Japan series and Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.
The HI clarified on Saturday that the right-half has already served the reduced period of the ban.
However, the HI/HIl Athletes Disputes and Grievance Redressal Committee, that includes former players Harbinder Singh, R.P. Singh, A.B. Subbaiah and Jasjeet Kaur, issued a warning to the player.
“We issue Gurbaj a warning that should he misconduct himself in the future, this committee should take serious note of the same. Should any complaint be received regarding his conduct in the future, it is clarified, that his past record, including that at the london Olympics will be taken into consideration,” the committee said in its report.
Gurbaj had filed a petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the ban advised by the committee. But the court had directed the HI to review its decision after finding that Gurbaj’s alleged misconduct was not serious enough to merit a ban.
Committee chairman Harbinder Singh told that they reduced ban because of the court’s argument that neither the World Hockey Federation (FIH) nor the HI have any rules regarding indiscipline by a player during training camp. The FIH rules only permit the body to take action over incidents of misbehaviour during a match. “We had also kept in mind Gurbaj’s record of repeated misconduct in the past while imposing the ban,” Harbinder added. “The committee has also advised the HI to make rules on indiscipline during the training camps.”
Previously, Gurbaj was banned after the 2012 Olympics when then chief coach Michael Nobbs found him to be indulging in groupism and creating disharmony within the squad.
Gurbaj has decided to move on and is eager to get back into the Indian team. “For me it is case a forgetting what happened and working my way into team again. I was left with no choice and that is why I had to take the legal route to prove my innocence. I am glad that the court decided the case in my favour. “Playing for India is an honour and I have never intended to do any harm to the team. All this while I was working hard on my game back home in Jalandhar. Now just waiting to get back on the field in India colours,” Gurbaj said.