Hockey
Explained: Why the banned Tom Craig was purchased in the HIL auction
Tom Craig was banned by Hockey Australia for being caught in possession of a banned substance during 2024 Paris Olympics.
The two days of men's Hockey India League auctions turned out to be intense with eight teams battling for the elite players in the world.
The Indian players earned big bucks while the foreigners were sold based on the availability of the slots and purse remaining.
One such foreigner is Tom Craig of Australia who was bought by Tamil Nadu Dragons for 20 lakhs.
Interestingly, Tom Craig was in the news one month back after the 2024 Paris Olympics but due to all the wrong reasons.
The 29-year-old midfielder was banned by Hockey Australia for buying cocaine in France during the Olympics after French police kept him in custody for a night.
He possessed one gram of a certain party drug and was caught in the ninth district of Paris.
Craig was suspended for six months and was ordered to complete mandatory training and education programs as part of his sanction.
“During the suspension, Craig will be prohibited from playing in any match, competition, or event at any level sanctioned or organized by Hockey Australia, including the upcoming Hockey One League and FIH Pro League seasons,” Hockey Australia said when confirming Craig’s ban.
Under the provisions of his ban, there are no restrictions on Craig playing overseas.
Hence, Craig will be playing for the Tamil Nadu Dragons in the upcoming league starting on 28th December this year.
Hockey India's Social Media gaffe
In another interesting development, Hockey India, when announcing the Tom Craig bid on social media, used a picture of his from when he was detailed by the police.
The picture was quickly spotted by the Australian media, who were amused and saw the lighter side of the episode in keeping with what was an obviously unintentional gaffe.
