The International Hockey Federation (FIH) on Sunday suspended two Pakistani players for one match each, citing misconduct, while a third member of the Green Shirts was given a stern warning. The decision by the hockey body was made ahead of Pakistan's Champions Trophy final clash against Germany.
Pakistani players Amjad Hussain, Tauseeq Ahmed and Shafqat Rasool were seen making obscene gestures towards the spectators during Saturday's semi-final win over India, prompting Hockey India (HI) to demand action from the FIH. According to the directive by the hockey body, Hussain and Ahmed are set to miss the match versus Germany, while Rasool was let off with a warning.
Sports activist Rahul Mehra termed the actions by the Pakistani players as 'misplaced aggression'.
"One needs to condemn [the behaviour of the Pakistani players] to the fullest. This is increasingly been seen as a case of misplaced aggression. In victory, you must show humility. If you have won a hard-fought match, you must show some grace," he told ANI.
According to reports, the hockey body had initially taken no action against the Green Shirts, prompting HI president Narinder Batra to take strong exception to what he termed as 'weak censure' against the Pakistani team and threaten to cancel all upcoming FIH tournaments in India. Under pressure, the FIH decided to suspend Hussain and Ahmed from the final.