Seven players, who represented India in the just concluded junior hockey World Cup, were over the maximum age limit for the mega event, a senior official of the Indian Hockey Federation alleged on Saturday.
According Narinder Batra, senior vice-president of IHF, V S Vinay, Vivek Gupta, Vickram Kanth, Navpreet Singh, Hari Prasad, Senthil Kumar and Ajitesh Roy were all aged over 21 years, the maximum age limit for players in the junior World Cup.
Batra, in a letter to IHF Secretary General K Jothikumaran, said "the source from which I have got this information has also informed that this manipulation in the age of players was done on instructions of senior IHF officials."
Batra claimed that while Vinay was of 24 years 6 months old, Hari Prasad was 23, Vivek Gupta and Vickram Kanth were over 22 each. Navpreet was 21 years two months old and Ajitesh was almost 22.
Batra said since there were two players with the name of Senthil Kumar -- R Senthil Kumar and G Senthil Kumar -- he was not sure which one took part in the world Cup. But, he claimed, both were overged.
IHF Secretary General Jothikumaran declined to comment on the issue saying he was yet to receive a copy of the letter.
More from rediff