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| December 6, 2005 | Tuesday | Ziqa’ad 3, 1426 |
Saqlain to challenge Commission’s decision
LAHORE, Dec 5: Pakistan hockey team captain Muhammad Saqlain, has decided to challenge the FIH judicial commission’s decision of penalizing him for three international matches and cash penalty of Euro 1000 to the IOC arbitration commission.
Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) secretary, Mussarat Ullah Khan said while addressing a press conference with Saqlain’s lawyer Mustafa Ramday.
Saqlain was penalized for injuring an Australian player Craig Victory with his hockey-stick during a match in the Hamburg Tournament last August.
Mussarat Ullah said the PHF would provide all possible help to the national captain to get justice as he was innocent.
He clarified that PHF was not directly involved to move the case to the IOC but would help him because Saqlain was an asset of the country.
Ramday claimed that the ban and fine imposed on Saqlain was unfair and an act of discrimination act by the international body towards an Asian player.
He added that as the secretary general FIH and chairman of the commission were Australians they refused to send the complaint regarding Saqlain to an alternate dispute resolution committee as was necessary under article-17 of the FIH statutes and bye-laws, he added.
Ramday, who also gave a written statement, alleged that the attitude of the commission, especially, that of Martin Gotheridge, chairman of the bench, was evident from the outset to end as the bench openly assisted Phillipe Verbiest, the prosecution counsel who was stressing on the past history of Saqlain, he stated.
Ramday pointed out in last three months as many inquiries had been initiated by the technical bench, all against Pakistani players.
He claimed that the statements of both umpires who supervised the match had been issued in favour of Saqlain, but the bench of the judicial commission conveniently bypassed the same.
Ramday said he resisted the prosecution of Saqlain on his past conduct but the bench openly refused to adhere to the provisions of the law.
He said the complainant Alain Renaud was notorious for his biased attitude against Pakistan which would be proved through his cross examination.
He added that what was important to note, was that the contents of the complaint as filed against Saqlain by Renaud proved to be different than the contents of the video footage provided by the Australia team.
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