Hockey India polls put on hold: India may lose World Cup

NEW DELHI: The ad hoc body of Hockey India (HI) on Saturday deferred the February 7 polls, putting a question mark over India hosting the World Cup. The world body (FIH) had stated last year that India could stage the World Cup – slated to begin on February 28 – only if an elected body was in place before the tournament.

HI secretary general Narinder Batra said a Rajasthan HC order staying operation of minutes of a January 11 meeting in which 30 states/Union Territories and 4 institutions/boards were granted affiliation, had forced them to take this decision. Batra also added that it was a unanimous decision.

HI had referred the matter to returning officer GS Mander, ‘‘who has directed HI to defer the elections till the final decision is taken by Rajasthan HC because the entire electoral college of HI has been stayed’’.

This decision has caught the sports ministry by surprise, which refused to comment on the development. ‘‘We will have to study the order,’’ said an officer. Even FIH refused to comment. ‘‘We don’t work on Saturdays. We will respond on Monday,’’ Arjen Meijer, FIH’s communication manager, told TOI.

The timing of the decision raises a few questions. The judgment came on Friday but there was no reaction from HI then. They waited the whole day on Saturday and sent the release late in the evening.

This also brings into question the role of returning officer GS Mander. The ministry has seriously objected to his appointment against guidelines issued by the election observer. In fact, the ministry has moved the High Court over his appointment.

It’s anybody’s guess how FIH will react now but world body president Leonardo Negre’s comments on his recent visit here would give hope to the ministry and HI that the World Cup would not be affected. Negre had praised India’s efforts towards getting the National Stadium ready in time and had said he was keen to see hockey flourish in India.

It seems HI officials will now go into appeal against the order in a higher court and try to get the stay lifted. The nomination process was to begin on Sunday.