New Delhi: The war of words between the two factions of Indian hockey continued on Saturday when the IHF warned that any attempt to stop top players from participating in the World Series Hockey (WSH) league will not be tolerated.

Reacting to HI’s statement that called its rival body “anti national” and said it was trying to lure away players for unsanctioned WSH, IHF said HI was a “puppet body” which was acting “as a servile agent of international bosses”.

Welcoming HI’s plan to host an IPL style hockey league in 2013, IHF wondered why international hockey federation’s (FIH) approval was needed . “International sports federations do not sanction or run domestic sports leagues. For example, Fifa does not sanction or involve itself with the management of the English Premier League nor does the ICC sanction or run the Indian Premier League.

“The fact that HI has decided to tread this new path in running a domestic league under the control and management of FIH is a testament to the fact that HI is merely a puppet body controlled by foreigners with no interest in the development of Indian hockey,” the statement added.