M.S. Unnikrishnan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, January 5

Hockey India (HI) has asked Hockey Punjab to submit the minutes of the merger meeting of the four hockey bodies in the State, which led to the formation of Hockey Punjab, to consider its request for affiliation, as there had been “doubts” about the “authentication” of the formation of Hockey Punjab.

Hockey Punjab secretary-general Pargat Singh had a meeting with HI treasurer N.Batra to take up the issue of the State body’s merger with the apex body. Hockey India president A.K.Mattoo, in a letter to Pargat Singh today, had asked him to “submit the minutes of meeting of election in which Hockey Punjab was formed, alongwith the list of persons who attended the meeting, for us to consider your request for affiliation.”

The HI president stated that though, “There is an Affiliation Committee to look after the affiliation of the State units after the members are fully convinced about the unification of all units. It is not only Punjab which is yet to be granted affiliation, but there are many other States who have applied but are yet to be granted affiliation due to certain queries raised by the Affiliation Committee. Affiliation has already been granted to those State units who have completed the necessary formalities”, Mattoo elaborated.

Hockey India claimed that when Pargat met Batra, thelatter had apprised him about the “complaints which have been received from different quarters who have raised doubts about the authentication of the formation of Hockey Punjab”.