CAS Judgement: Final nail in the IHF coffin

Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) has dismissed the plea of Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) to be India’s sole governing body, which it was till dissolved by the Indian Olympic Association in 2008 in the aftermath of India’s failure to qualify for the 2008 Olympic and a consequent money scandal exposed by Aaj Tak television channel.

The message of the final judgment is the reigning hockey body of India, Hockey India, has crossed the last mile in its legal battle to rule hockey in India.

The CAS judgement a copy of which is made available to media by Hockey India, also imposes a cost of CHF 6000 to be paid by the IHF to Federation Internationale de Hockey (FIH) and Hockey India as a part of legal expenses.

The operative part of the 32-page judgement is that the FIH’s recognition to Hockey India as the sole governing body of Indian hockey is legally valid, and the appeal against the recognition by IHF is dismissed.