Allow media to cover hockey practice: Kalmadi to Gill

NEW DELHI - Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Suresh Kalmadi has requested Sports Minister M.S. Gill to allow the media into the Major Dhyanchand National Stadium to cover the practice sessions of the Indian team for the World Cup beginning Feb 28.

The team has been training at the renovated stadium from Feb 3, but the media has been kept off the venue citing security reasons.

“It has been brought to my notice by Sports Journalists Federation of India (SJFI) that journalists are not being allowed inside the National Stadium to interact with the Indian hockey team and cover their practice sessions.

“While security concerns of the venue and the players are well appreciated, I think we should allow media persons to enter the stadium and interact with the Indian players. This may, however, be done after they have been checked and cleared from security point of view as per laid down procedures,” Kalmadi wrote to Gill in a letter Saturday.