'Punjab Police team should be banned'

Former Olympian Colonel Balbir Singh has urged the Indian Hockey Federation to ban the "indisciplined" Punjab Police team following Kanwalpreet Singh's violent charge on a rival player in a tournament in Delhi on Saturday.

"It is not the first time that players of Punjab Police have indulged in such kind of activities. Now the time is ripe to rein in the indisciplined team of cops and as a first step, immediate ban should be imposed on the team," said Singh, who is also a former selector.

"Be it in 1995 during Aga Cup final, in 2004 during Ramesh Chandra Memorial tournament, in 2004 during Nehru hockey or in 2005 during K D Singh Babu hockey, it was always players of Punjab Police who indulged in manhandling," he said.

"Punjab Police players are indisciplined and it is the duty of IHF to ensure that they are disciplined," he said.

Olympian Deepak Thakur had to be hospitalised with a broken nose and injured arms after he was beaten up by Kanwalpreet during the Maharaja Ranjit Singh hockey tournament in New Delhi. Punjab Police paid the price for Kanwalpreet Singh's act as the side was thrown out of the competition.

Kanwalpreet's Punjab Police teammate Gagan Ajit Singh alsocondemned the conduct.

"Although Deepak and Kanwalpreet are good friends, I don't know what prompted Kanwalpreet to beat him," the India forward said.

"I strongly condemn the incident, which is a black spot on Indian hockey. It has earned a bad name for Punjab Police team," he said.

Gagan said he and team coach Pargat Singh had visited Thakur, who is undergoing treatment in Apollo hospital in Delhi for nasal fractures, on Sunday.