Athletes camped in New Delhi since April, seeking arrest of WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is accused of sexually harassing female sportsperson
Robert Lewandowski and his Poland teammates enjoyed a special World Cup send-off accompanied by fighter jets but critics questioned the use of military resources.
Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak took to public radio on Friday to defend the decision to escort the team plane through Polish airspace the previous day.
"It's a good sign showing support for our players," he said.
Blaszczak on Thursday tweeted: "Our players are already on the way to the World Cup in Qatar. They are being escorted by F-16s to the border. Good luck!" .
ALSO READ:
He also posted a picture of the team's plane flying next to an F-16.
Blaszczak said the escort was nothing more than regular pilot training.
"The most important assignment for our F-16 pilots is training, and such an exercise took place yesterday," he said.
Poland will start their World Cup campaign against Mexico on November 22. Group C also includes Argentina and Saudi Arabia.
ALSO READ:
Athletes camped in New Delhi since April, seeking arrest of WFI President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, who is accused of sexually harassing female sportsperson
Serie A club was the last Italian team to win the Cup when Jose Mourinho guided it to a treble of trophies along with the league title and the Italian Cup
The potential for top players to compete on other tour events will help boost ratings, experts said
A report published by a football news website claims that the Paris giants have seen their follower count drop by at least 800,000 over this weekend
Eight other players have received bans ranging from 20 months to five years and four months
the unseeded Czech player, stunned eighth seed Maria Sakkari in the opening round, has largely flown under the radar in Paris this year
Both teams are using the ODI series, which starts today, to prepare for the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe