‘Sinister’ Kalmadi out to control hockey: Pargat

NEW DELHI: Former India skipper Pargat Singh blasted Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president and 2010 Commonwealth Games organizing committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi on Sunday for the mess Indian hockey finds itself in, calling him a ‘‘sports mafia who is trying to take control of Indian hockey by any means’’. Kalmadi reacted by saying it was a ‘‘figment of Pargat’s imagination’’.

Pargat, who is now the secretary of the newly-formed Hockey Punjab, said Kalmadi was behind the deferring of Hockey India’s February 7 elections, which has put a question mark over India hosting the World Cup in New Delhi.

‘‘He is up to something sinister and got the elections postponed on purpose. He is playing dirty games. People like him don’t bother about the country’s image. They will not care even if the World Cup is shifted out of the country,’’ Pargat said. ‘‘Things were better in the KPS Gill era.’’

The erstwhile Indian Hockey Federation led by KPS Gill was dissolved by IOA and an ad hoc body of Hockey India (HI) constituted last year.

Former India skipper has hit out at Suresh Kalmadi for the postponement of Hockey India’s (HI) elections and accused him of “trying to control hockey by any means”. Hockey’s world body (FIH) president Leanardo Negre had insisted that India could get to host the World Cup only if an elected body was in place in time. Hockey’s premier tournament is scheduled to begin on February 28.

On the elections, Pargat alleged, ‘‘Kalmadi and his men got scared after he failed to get nomination from Maharashtra despite putting so much pressure on the Maharashtra Hockey Association, and that’s why they deferred the election. He wanted to be the president at any cost. They cited the Rajasthan High Court order as the reason but all they should have done was to submit an application to vacate the stay and gone ahead with the elections,’’ Pargat said.

He also alleged that Kalmadi’s men tried to deny Hockey Punjab affiliation and that people close to Kalmadi had tried to negotiate a deal with him. ‘‘I would call them Kalmadi’s cronies. They came to me and said in no unclear terms that Hockey Punjab would get affiliation if we agreed to support Kalmadi for the president’s post. I said we are just not interested. They made me make rounds of their office for 10 days before eventually recognizing us,’’ Pargat alleged. Pargat charged that Kalmadi was not bothered about the government’s letters and repeated reminders on the election process.

A rattled Kalmadi said he was ‘‘not interested in hockey’’. ‘‘I’m the president of IOA and I’m also the chairman of the (Commonwealth) Games organizing committee. My hands are full. I have a national responsibility. I’m also part of the organizing committee of Hockey World Cup and am doing my bit. I have no time or interest in running any other federation. Pargat is just imagining things.’’ Saying he only had the best interests of hockey in his heart, Kalmadi told TOI, ‘‘I intervened during the men’s team’s strike as it was in the interest of the nation.’’

Kalmadi reacted to Pargat’s allegations on Hockey Punjab by saying: ‘‘They were not giving all the documents. Once the documents were submitted, HI gave them affiliation. And as far as the Rajasthan HC order is concerned, I did not go to the court. That man, Rajkumar, who went to the court is Pargat and JB Roy’s (president of Hockey West Bengal) man.’’

‘‘It has not been easy merging the men’s and women’s hockey bodies in all states. HI has done its bit,’’ he added.