Pune:
The hockey crisis that exercised India over the last one week has blown over, with the national team calling off its strike on an assurance that the players will be paid their dues at the earliest.
The players will join practice for the World Cup from Thursday. The World Cup will be held in Delhi from next month.
Former hockey star Dhanraj Pillay played an important role in breaking the ice between the players and Hockey India, the interim body that governs the sport.
Sources said all the demands of the players have been accepted and they will be paid at the earliest.
The permanent body of Hockey India, which will be elected in February, will introduce a grading system of payment in the sport, one of the key demands of the players.
Wednesday morning began on a note of promise after a dismal Tuesday when talks between the administration and the players had reached a new low. Dhanraj Pillay and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) chief Suresh Kalmadi reached Pune to talk to the players on strike and the ex-hockey captain said: "Hopefully we should have some good news in a while."
Team sponsors Sahara India, meanwhile, decided to deposit Rs one crore immediately for the players.
In a statement, Sahara India said that in the interest of the national hockey players, it had decided to pay Rs. 1 crore immediately into the suspense account of Hockey India. This money it said would only be "for distribution to the players so that they can peacefully and happily practice and play for the country." (
Pics: Crisis in Indian hockey)
Even UP Chief Minister stepped forward to offer Rs five crore and sponsorship for two-years to the national team.
On Tuesday, the crisis in Indian hockey had worsened, with Hockey India throwing up its hands saying it did not have the Rs 4.5 lakh per player that the team was demanding and could only offer Rs 25,000 per podium finish for 2009.
The players scoffed at this and said that they had no idea of the accounts and also that they had not been allowed to meet sponsors Sahara.
While Hockey India gave the players till Thursday to resume practice after which it said it would play the World Cup with newcomers, if necessary, the players said they would play the tournament with their own money but would not budge on the strike.
Late on Tuesday, Sports Minister MS Gill appealed to the players to begin preparing for the World Cup, promising them a "fair deal' after the tournament. (
Read: Sports Minister asks players to call off strike)