August 24, 2007	Friday	Sha’aban 10, 1428

KARACHI, Aug 23: While Pakistan gave a disappointing performance at the recently concluded Good Luck Beijing hockey tournament, they faced another embarrassment when a Pakistani umpire was sent home in the middle of the event for violating rules and security breach.

Sources said umpire Dilawar Hussain Bhatti, who went to the Chinese capital to officiate matches of the four-nation tournament played from Aug 8 to 13, was asked to pack up and leave on the second day by the tournament director for taking two of his nephews into the stadium without accreditation.

The umpire, nominated by the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) and appointed by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) for the event, used official transport to carry his nephews to the venue on Aug 9. The two unauthorised and unaccredited persons accompanied Dilawar in the official bus and entered the venue without security clearance.

Tournament director Ken Read, taking note of the offence, directed Dilawar to remove his two nephews from the venue immediately as it was a breach of rules and security. However, instead of sending the two people out of the venue, the umpire accommodated them in the umpires’ room.

This forced Read to cancel Dilawar’s accreditation and to arrange for his early and unceremonious exit from the Chinese city.

An FIH spokesman, on Thursday, confirmed the episode, saying the umpire was sent packing home for serious violations.

“Mr Bhatti was nominated by the PHF and accepted by FIH as an umpire. Unfortunately, the tournament director had to remove his accreditation and arrange for his early return to Pakistan.

“He (Dilawar) invited two non-accredited members of the public aboard the officials’ bus on the morning of Aug 9. Those persons were thereby able to enter the hockey venue without any security clearance.

“They then entered the stadium with Bhatti when he well knew they did not have accreditation. When instructed by the tournament director to immediately remove the persons from the venue he did not comply. Rather, he placed them away from the view of the tournament director in the umpires’ room,” the FIH communication manager Arjen Mejier told Dawn from Lausanne.

The FIH official said the umpire was given a patient hearing and admitted to all offences in presence of Read and umpires’ manager Peter Von Reth.

“Mr Bhatti admitted each of the actions referred to when interviewed by the tournament director in the presence of the umpires’ manager.”

Following the incident, FIH decided to review his affiliation with the international ruling body of the sport and an outcome is expected soon.

“Mr Bhatti’s umpiring accreditation with FIH will be reviewed by the umpiring committee of the FIH. He will be advised of the outcome of that review in due course,” said the FIH official.

Dilawar could not be reached for comments.