UP women's hockey team scratched

The Uttar Pradesh women's hockey team was on Thuirsday scratched from the National Games for alleged misbehaviour with an umpire and refusal to enter the field after their protests against the award of a goal in favour of hosts Punjab was overruled.

Two minutes after half-time, when the two teams were locked 1-1, a melee near the Uttar Pradesh goal post saw Rajwinder Kaur sounding the board. But the vistors contested the award of the goal by umpire Helen Roy.

The Uttar Pradesh girls heckled the umpire and misbehaved with her in full public glare. When the umpire stuck to her decision, they players "refused to enter the field so the game was stopped in the 37th minute", the umpires said in their match report.

Uttar Pradesh argued that the Punjab player had deflected the ball into the goal when play was stopped for a while after an attempt by Punjab struck the post and stopped.

Director competitions (technical) Leela Walia did not agree with UP's arguments and rejected their demand for reversing the goal, leading to scratching Uttar Pradesh from the competition and awarding the match to Punjab.