- Tom Craig was arrested in Paris in early August
- As a result, he later received a 12-month ban.
Australian Olympic hockey star Tom Craig has earned a lucrative salary in the Indian Hockey League just months after his arrest for buying cocaine on a Paris street.
Craig, 28, spent a night in custody after being arrested for buying a gram of cocaine in Paris after the Kookaburras completed their Olympic campaign.
The talented forward, who initially attempted to flee from police, was subsequently suspended for 12 months by Hockey Australia.
Now Craig has landed a $35,000 contract to play for the Tamil Nadu Dragons in the prestigious Indian tournament.
Hockey Australia’s ban on the Australian star only extends to hockey played within the country, so Craig is free to ply his trade elsewhere.
“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 in its statement.
“In addition, Craig must complete mandatory training and education programs as part of his sanction.”
Craig has since apologized for his actions in the French capital during the Games.
Hockey star Tom Craig has landed a lucrative salary in the Indian Hockey League just months after his public arrest for attempting to buy cocaine on a Paris street.
Craig had landed a $35,000 contract to play for the Tamil Nadu Dragons in India.
‘First of all, I would like to apologize for what happened over the last 24 hours. “I made a terrible mistake and I take full responsibility for my actions,” he said.
‘My actions are my own and in no way reflect the values of my family, my teammates, my friends, my sport and the Australian Olympic Committee. I have embarrassed you all and I am very sorry.’
It is understood Craig was arrested just 15 minutes after leaving an Australian team function, with the team eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Paris Games.
He could be seen sitting on the sidewalk with his hands behind his back as officers carried out their investigation in an image taken just after his arrest.
Australian Hockey’s high performance director Bernard Savage met Craig when he was in police custody and said the star was suffering when he caught up with him.
Hockey Australia’s ban only extends to hockey played within Australia, so Craig (pictured left) is free to ply his trade in other countries.
Craig is pictured with his partner, Australian Olympic hockey star Alice Arnott.
He was disheveled. I was tired. I was hungry. “I was stressed,” Savage said.
Four-time Australian Olympian Emily Seebohm gave a possible explanation for Craig’s shocking behavior when asked about the situation.
“I think it’s one of those difficult positions in sports where sometimes the sport doesn’t necessarily go the way you think it’s going to go.” And there’s a kind of post-competition depression that a lot of athletes go through,” he told KIIS 97.3’s Robin & Kip radio show.
“Many athletes are in scenarios where they ask themselves: ‘Should I continue? Do I wait another four years? Can I do it again?’ And this is the time where they are exploring that option, whether it is for them or whether they want to move forward.”
