I want to be part of hockey administration: Pillay

Dhanraj said he was appalled by the dismal performance of the Indian hockey team in the London Olympics, where the eight-time champions finished their group campaign with an all-loss record and will now play South Africa for 11-12 spot classification match on Saturday.

"Indian hockey is dying because of the ego clash between HI and IHF. Since the start of the Olympic Games in 1936, we never lost five matches on the trot," said the mercurial striker, who played in four Olympics (1992, 1996, 2000, 2004).

"If HI continues to rule Indian hockey, our performance will not improve in the next five years. There is plenty of politics in our country and I am a victim of politics. If not for politics I could have played another Olympics."

He called on Sports Minister Ajay Maken to solve the dispute between HI and IHF and said sportspersons should play an integral role in the administration of sports federations in the country.

"It's high time the Sports Minister should take a final call now. He should dissolve both HI and IHF and form a new unified body which should have sportspersons in it. I am ready to be part of it. I want to be in the administration (of hockey)," Pillay said. (MORE)