No concession in implementing penalty cards: Qureshi

Chandigarh, Feb 12 (UNI) Technical Director, IHF, Shakeel Ahmed Qureshi today stressed that the penalty card rules of the International Hockey Federation will be strictly implemented in the third edition of the Premier Hockey League.

The second phase began at the Sector 42 Hockey Stadium with a washout match between Sher-e-Jalandhar and Chandigarh Dynamos.

''We can teach the players in the domestic circuit so that they follow the rules in international competitions and do not invite any trouble for themselves, a lack of knowledge can lead to disgrace to the country,'' Qureshi, who is officiating as the TD for the first time after he had retired as umpire last year, told UNI here today.

This time, the Indian Hockey Federation has constituted a disciplinary committee for the PHL.

''I will recommend financial penalties against those teams or individuals who deliberately indulge in rough play,'' said Qureshi, one of the most respected and knowledgeable international hockey umpires of the country.

During his career as an umpire, Qureshi, an officer in State Bank of India, Bhopal, had earned a reputation of being ''firm and fair.'' Giving statistics of the Chennai phase of the PHL from January 4 to February 4, Qureshi said 58 green and 20 yellow cards were issued.

Qureshi further explained that all cards would be carried forward to the Chandigarh phase and there would be no laxity in implementing the rules.

However, Qureshi added ''After the match, the umpires have to explain to the players the reasons why cards were issued against them.'' It may be recalled that in the earlier editions, Vinay of Bangalore Lions in first PHL in Hyderabad and Pakistans Mohd Saqlain of Sher-E-Jalandhar in Chandigarh were let off lightly by the Technical Director. These players were awarded red cards but no suspension or fine was imposed on them.

Meanwhile, poor penalty-corner technique or variations was more than evident in Indian players at the conclusion of the Chennai phase.

In all 127 penalty corners were awarded but only 23 could be converted. The percentage was a poor 18.11.

UNI