BHA issues an ultimatum

BHA president Baptist D’Souza informed The Indian Express that the committee planned to fax Med Expo the notice today, providing the suppliers ten days to lay the surface stored at the Association’s premises for more than five months.

D’Souza said: “If Med Expo do not heed the notice, we shall commence on plans to seek alternative services to lay the pitch. We would then hold Med Expo responsible for the cost.”

According to D’Souza, the BHA are determined to run hockey this season. He explained: “The leagues will be held, commencing November this year, whether or not the artificial surface is laid. It’s better to have some hockey than no hockey at all.

He added, “We will in all probability be able to use the Khalsa College and the Police grounds for the leagues which will be transferred to the Mahindra Stadium as and when the surface is made ready for use.

The turf was supplied in 1991 by Balsam Sports — a company which subsequently went defunct. A busy BHA schedule resulted in the System 90 AstroTurf pitch being worn out well within its seven-year warranty contract.BHA’s efforts brought only partial success. Med Expo, a company in Nicosia (Cyprus) stepped in as agents for AstroTurf, shipped the System 90 surface to the city in February.

But the specialised engineering services needed to lay the pitch have not been forthcoming despite the suppliers’ assurance of providing the services before the National Games held in June.

Indenting agents for Balsam, Bajaj Sports in New Delhi, have shown little or no interest in expediting the matter according to D’Souza whose pleas for help were greeted with callousness.