New Delhi: In an unusual protest, some of India's most distinguished hockey Olympians took to the streets today (May 6, 2004) demanding that ace striker Dhanraj Pillay be included in the team for Athens Olympic Games in August as the campaign against his exclusion intensified.

Carrying placards - "Call Back Dhanraj Pillay" - and shouting slogans, former Olympians Zafar Iqbal and R S Bhola led a group of hockey lovers in a demonstration outside the headquarters of the Indian Hockey Federation.

Indian Hockey Federation president K P S Gill was under attack for his "arbitrary" functioning, which is "killing" the game in the country.

Former Olympian Zafar Iqbal asked the Federation to put an end to the controversy surrounding Pillay's omission by giving the veteran player a chance to prove his fitness.

R S Bhola, member of the Olympic gold medal winning team of 1956, held chief coach Rajinder Singh responsible for the ouster of Pillay and accused IHF for "killing" the game.

"It's high time that the IHF takes steps to stop all these controversies by recalling Pillay to the side. Give him a chance to prove his fitness. If he is fit, he must play or else no one in the country would like to see an injured man playing in the Olympics," Iqbal told reporters.

"IHF should also respect the public opinion and the views of the former players on the issue," the former left-winger said.

Iqbal also said that the controversies were having a "negative effect" on the morale of the Olympic hopefuls.