Kanwalpreet Singh

New Delhi: The Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) Monday suspended Punjab Police defender Kanwalpreet Singh for two years for attacking Deepak Thakur during a domestic competition last month.

Thakur had to be hospitalised after he was beaten up by Kanwalpreet during a Super League match in the Ranjit Singh tournament between Punjab Police and Indian Oil in Delhi.

?After the incident we received the report as well as recommendations from the tournament committee. Going through the matter, IHF president K.P.S. gill suspended the player for two years,? IHF secretary K. Jyothikumaran said.

Deploring the incident, Jyothikumaran said teams like Punjab Police would be asked not to encourage in such acts of indiscipline.

?We will be writing to the department not to encourage such acts. This is highly deplorable,? the IHF secretary said.

Kanwalpreet has already been banned by his employers, Punjab Police, for six months following the incident.

Thakur had suffered a nasal fracture and hand injuries and had to spend a couple of days in a Delhi hospital following the assault at the Shivaji Stadium on Feburary 25.

Jyothikumaran said IHF was also investigating into claims made by another IOC player Vikramjit Singh that he was beaten up by Punjab forwards Gagan Ajit Singh and Daljit Singh after a match between the two sides at the national championships in Hyderabad on Sunday.

Vikramjit had accused the two players of hitting him with a hockey stick near the players? dressing room after Punjab?s 0-2 loss in a Super League match.

?We had an inquiry after the tournament director Peter Menses gave his recommendations. Both the teams and the players presented their cases before the technical committee,? he said.

Jyothikumaran, however, did not reveal the outcome of the hearing. ?This is what I can say at this moment and nothing more than that.?