It takes a couple of hours for a ‘miracle’ to happen

It took a phone call from HT to get authorities to replace goalposts at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium. HT had learnt on Sunday that the international hockey federation-approved goalposts, which were imported from Germany, were gathering dust in a storeroom for almost a week.

It took a phone call from HT to get authorities to replace goalposts at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium. HT had learnt on Sunday that the international hockey federation-approved goalposts, which were imported from Germany, were gathering dust in a storeroom for almost a week.

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A source in the Organising Committee (OC) had said that there were payment issues as the goalposts were procured at an approximate cost of Rs 20 lakhs.

“Ideally, the venue owners (Sports Authority of India) should make the payment. But there is no clarity on the matter as even the construction company in-charge of the stadium (Unity Infratech) has been asked to share the cost,” the official said.

SAI though went on the defensive. Its officials said that two goalposts manufactured by an Indian company were already in place.

“Obviously, matches cannot be played without goalposts. The ones already installed at the stadium also have the FIH approval. I am not aware of any payment controversy,” HS Kingra, joint-secretary, SAI, had said at 6.30 pm. Another SAI official had blamed the OC as the authority responsible for making payments.

“The ones in place had the OC's approval and not the FIH's. We have installed the new ones today, a day before foreign teams arrive,” he said, retracting his earlier claim.