Nimbus launches lucrative world hockey league with IHF

Mumbai, Dec 28 (PTI) In a show of defiance against Hockey India, almost the entire Indian team that took part in the recent Asian and Commonwealth Games has signed up for the million dollar prize money World Series Hockey (League) that was launched today by Nimbus Sport and Indian Hockey Federation.

Among those who signed up for the League were Indian captain Rajpal Singh, penalty corner specialist Sandeep Singh and star defender Sardar Singh with each of whom expected to rake in between Rs 40-50 lakh annually by playing in the first edition of the tournament to be held between November 2011 and February 2012.

Shivendra Singh, Arjun Halappa, Gurbaj Singh, Adrian D’’Souza, Bharat Chetri, V S Vinaya, Bharat Chikara, Prabodh Tirkey and Tushar Khandekar are among others to sign up for the lucrative league that is to see between 8-10 franchise owned teams taking part.

Nimbus chairman Harish Thawani challenged HI’’s secretary-general Narender Batra for threatening to ban the players who take part in the League from representing the country in future assignments.

“I don’t know whether Mr Batra has said it or not, but if he had said it I am willing to fight it in court. There is a thing called restraint of trade,” said Thawani whose Nimbus is associated with the Cricket Board as its official broadcasters. .

.