HI and SAI at loggerheads again

The career of hundreds of trainees at the prestigious National Hockey Academy is left in ambiguity after Hockey India disassociated itself from the academy alleging several of its demands weren't met by the Sports Authority of India. It has been reported that HI decision was triggered after SAI refused to appoint the Australian "partner" of David John – high performance director of HI and NHA – as NHA's chief foreign coach. However, SAI said that it didn’t find the candidate suitable for the post as she didn't possess the relevant coaching experience. SAI added that her daughter is a part of junior Australian hockey team. Therefore, there is a direct conflict of interest. Meanwhile, HI’s decision to disassociate itself from the academy means that the federation will not be deploying its coaching staff, scientific advisor and strength and conditioning expert for the trainees. Moreover, HI will not arrange for international friendlies and tournaments abroad for trainees. It has also been reported that selection of trainees for various age-group tournaments may also get affected with the HI staying away.