K. ARUMUGAM

Tayyab Ikram is for long known as the king maker in the Asian hockey domain. He became the King himself today. Far exceeding all the expectations, the master-trainer, first CEO of the Asian Hockey Federation, defeated his rival Marc Coudron, Europe Hockey’s giant, hands down in the FIH president election.

He was largely believed to be the king maker when India’s Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra won the FIH Election in 2016 defeating both European and Oceania contenders. Suave, articulate and hugely impact making personality, he openly supported Batra’s candidature and consolidated Asian and Afro block, it is believed, while the then outgoing FIH president could chip in from Europe block. Interestingly, the Congress then was held in an Asian bastion, Dubai, when Batra created history at the cost of David Balbirnie of Ireland and Australia’s Ken Read. That time Batra got  68 votes out of 118.

The fight, necessitated after the incumbent Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra resigned after 20 months of reelection in May this year due to domestic compulsions, was expected to be a tight one but in the end, it turned out to be damp quip for his rival, former Belgium Hockey Federation chief Marc Coudron.

While Macau based Tayyab Ikram is mater trainer turned administrator, his rival was acclaimed former player having donned the Belgium colours for a record number of times, and then bringing his country to world and Olympic Champions, which they are at present, as its National Federation chief.

Tayyab Ikram, the new FIH president

Tayyab’s victory was evident when an EHF sponsored Amendments to the FIH Statues were defeated minutes by a slender margin before the FIH Election was held.

Its indeed unexpected that Tayyab, who will occupy the chair till 2024, will amass 32 votes more than Marc. While Tayyab got 79 votes, his famed rival could manage a meagre 47. The margin, for the knowledgeables, is quite unexpected.

This was because in the previous election held in May 2021, Marc lost it just by 2 votes.

Narinder Batra defeated the then deity of Belgium Hockey Federation by a slender margin of two votes to retain the International Hockey Federation (FIH) presidency during the virtual 47th Congress of the sport’s global governing body. Batra secured 63 votes against his rival’s 61. That time also the FIH Congress was held virtually due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Tayyab was born in Pakistan before settled in Macau. He came into prominence when Macau bid successfully for the Women’s Champions Trophy in 2002. Since then, there was no look for the impressive personality.

For a coach turned instructor, the height he scaled with the ascension to the FIH’s top post is an amazing journey. He was the first CEO of the Asian Hockey Federation, dispensing away the Secretary General set up that existed with long running tenure of Malaysian Dato Alagendra.

He is only the second Non-European after Dr. Batra to rise to this level.