NEW DELHI, Dec 2: The multi-million dollar World Series Hockey received a big jolt even before the ball started rolling as top six Indian players, including Sandeep Singh and Sardara Singh, have withdrawn from the league to be held across different cities of the country from Dec 17.

Sandeep, Sardara along with goalkeepers Bharat Chetri, PR Sreejesh, forwards Tushar Khandker & Yuvraj Walmiki gave a written undertaking to Hockey India (HI) Secretary General Narinder Batra, stating that their commitment towards national team is above everything else.

The six players will now join national camp in Delhi for the Olympic qualifiers scheduled between Dec 11 and Feb 12, 2012.

“We are not playing in World Series Hockey WSH event and that we will be attending national camp in Delhi for Olympic qualifiers. We will be available for selection in national team for Olympic qualifiers,” stated the letter which was signed by all six players and issued as a media release by HI.

“We signed contract with WSH under the impression that WSH will not force us to play and ask us to leave for national camp,” added the players who are presently playing the Champions Challenge I tournament in South Africa.

“We play for our country and that is a matter of honour and pride for us,” they wrote. The players, however, did not completely rule out their participation in the league and requested WSH organisers to postpone the event.

“We appeal to WSH to postpone their tournament till the end of the qualifiers in national interest,” they said in the letter. All these players have taken a substantial amount of money as advance from the organisers.

The WSH organizers, however, said they have not yet received any communication from the six players in question. “As of now, we have received no withdrawal. All those who have signed up, including all Pakistani players will play. We have not heard anything from the six (Indian) players,” chief operating officer of Nimbus Sport, Yannick Colaco said.

“In fact, all players have sent us their sizes and preferences for kits.” Colaco accused Batra of using pressure tactics on Indian players to stop them from taking part in event. “HI and Batra have been employing all methods to stop players from playing in WSH. In fact, a player told me that Batra is threatening them to withdraw from WSH or else they can’t play for India,” he alleged.

“It is unfortunate to see how some people are trying their level best to create an air of uncertainty about the event.”

WSH is multi city franchise-based league promoted jointly by Nimbus Sport & rival Indian Hockey Federation IHF.

The FIH had already categorised WSH as an unsanctioned event and warned any player participating in league will be barred from representing their country.—Agencies