The International Hockey Federation (FIH) was probably in need of a stiff drink yesterday afternoon when word filtered through that not only are Ireland taking them to the Court of Arbitration for Sport but Lithuania are challenging them, too. "If Ireland go, we go also," as Leonardas Caikauskas, president of the Lithuanian Hockey Federation, put it.
And, just to add to the 'you couldn't make it up' quality of the story, Indian Hockey Confederation secretary general Amrit Bose had to postpone her planned meeting with her lawyer yesterday when the terrorist attack on the Indian parliament in Delhi led to the evacuation of the IHC offices just around the corner. "At times like that you don't think too much about hockey, it was a very bad day for India," she said.
India, then, have missed the deadline for lodging an appeal with the CAS but Bose was hopeful that, in the event of them deciding to take their case to Lausanne, the IHC would, under the circumstances, be granted an extension to the deadline.
When told that Lithuania had already lodged an appeal, Bose was bemused. "What are they going there for? It's funny. Do they want Ireland to be put out and they be given a place in the World Cup? Maybe I will join them in Lausanne.
"I spoke to my coach and he is also very upset and feels we ought to do something. I told him that we will do something because we are the losers in this, the worst losers. We must put our foot down. Why should India be punished? Ireland and India should fight this case together. We will also make an appeal that India and Ireland should not lose their World Cup Qualifier positions, we must support each others' cases."
Lithuania, meanwhile, felt that they were left with no option but to go to the CAS once they were informed by the FIH that Ireland had lodged an appeal. "We will argue that we beat Ireland on penalty strokes at the Qualifier - as the FIH disciplinary commission agreed - and therefore we should be in the World Cup. I think we have a good chance of winning, yes, a very good chance."
The CAS, then, will be confronted with three hockey 'parties' - Ireland, Lithuania and the FIH - all disputing each other's legal arguments. If India turn up with their lawyers in Lausanne, the CAS may well lose the will to live.
Equally flummoxed by the whole affair is the webmaster of the official 2002 World Cup internet site (www.2002wcwh.com.au) which has had to 'adjust' the final list of qualifiers on more than one occasion in the past few weeks. The latest? 'Teams to be confirmed - USA, India, Lithuania, Ireland', with two places between the four of them. Those two places, it now seems likely, will be contested in a court of law and not on the field of play.
The FIH received more bad news yesterday when Germany informed them that they have withdrawn from the Champions Challenge in South Africa, because it clashes with their indoor season. With India also considering pulling out of the tournament the FIH, having planned for an eight-team competition (including Ireland and Lithuania), now face the prospect of having only four teams (England, Korea, South Africa and the USA) confirmed in the line-up.
LEINSTER LEAGUE (tomorrow) - Division One: Pembroke v Trinity, Ballsbridge, 12.0; Glenanne v Railway Union, Tallaght, 4.0; Genesis v Corinthians, Milltown, 4.30. Division Two: Hermes II v Aer Lingus, Belfield, 11.0; Clontarf v Avoca, Dardistown, 1.0; Loreto II v Old Alexandra II, Beaufort, 2.0; Our Lady's v Muckross, Templeogue, 2.30; Three Rock v Pembroke Wanderers II, Grange Road, 3.15.
ULSTER LEAGUE - Section One: Randalstown v Ards, Antrim Forum, 2.30; Ballymena v Portadown, The Showgrounds, 2.30; Knock v Harlequins, Queens, 2.30; Victorians v North Down, Olympia Leisure Centre, 2.30.
