Dense fog in Lucknow has left the International Hockey Federation in a bind with the city set to host the hockey 2016 Junior World Cup from Thursday, PTI reported.
The adverse weather conditions have become a major cause for worry as visibility dropped drastically at the venue a day before the start of the 16-team event.
Wednesday evening saw dense fog engulf the Major Dhyan Chand Astroturf Stadium. The situation forced the Malaysian team to delay their practice session by half an hour.
The fog eased up for a while, letting the Malaysian outfit take the field for their training. It appeared again forcing the team to cut short their session.
With most games including the final to be played after 7 pm, the FIH is contemplating a change in match timings. Shifting a few games to another hockey ground in the city is also being deliberated over.
“If it (fog) gets thicker then we have a problem. Not only for the players, but also for the umpires, the TV umpire and also for those who will be watching it. So if we reach a point where it could get dangerous, then we need to look at alternatives,” Germany coach Valentin Altenberg was quoted as saying by PTI.
India face Canada on Thursday at 7 pm.