No easy road to hockey merger: Krishnamurthy

‘No Point In Rushing Through The Process’

Bangalore: Hockey India is as much an exercise in branding as it is an uncomfortable target that the fraternity has to meet, if indications from the past are anything to go by.

The International Hockey Federation’s (FIH) announcement in Hyderabad a few days ago that the two Indian bodies would merge to form Hockey India was met with scepticism by the game’s administrators who felt the task wasn’t as simple as it has been projected.

Pointing to a similar attempt a few years ago, when the formation of the Indian Hockey Confederation was mired in confusion and misgivings and at best described as a ‘convenient arrangement’, administrators feared that the coming months could also see a similar impasse.

“This time, we seem have fallen behind further,” said Karnataka State Hockey Association secretary K Krishnamurthy. “We do not have a federation. The ad hoc body of the Indian Olympic Association is running the sport in the country now and they do not have the powers to take a decision on the merger.”

Krishnamurthy said all that the IOA could do in the general assembly meeting later this year was to issue a directive to both the bodies to merge.

“At any rate, we have to begin with the election to the Indian Hockey Federation. Then the two national bodies – the IHF and the IWHF – will have to sit together and prepare a draft of the common by-laws before getting them approved by their respective general body members. Later, the two federations will have to approach the IOA with the request that they are ready to merge as Hockey India. Only then can the IOA can ratify the decision.”

However, the KSHA secretary sounded a note of caution. “Right now, KPS Gill has moved court against the suspension of the IHF. It would be wise if the IOA keeps all plans of forming Hockey India in abeyance until the final verdict is out.

There is no point in rushing through the process as it can lead to legal problems later. The IOA may also end up antagonising affiliated hockey associations if the matter is pursued without taking them into confidence.”

Krishnamurthy also felt there was no easy road to merger even at the state level. “There are too many issues to be thrashed out. Each body has been functioning independently for many decades. There are too many adjustments to be made even if we strike a consensus. The issue, as such, cannot be resolved that easily or quickly.”