FIH can’t take World Cup away: Kalmadi

Mihir Vasavda

Mumbai: In the end, it seems the international hockey federation (FIH) might backtrack over its ultimatum given to Hockey India (HI): conduct elections or no World Cup.

The FIH has maintained that HI’s failure to conduct the polls before the World Cup would result in India losing the right to host the event. However, in spite of a stay order on the elections issued by the Rajasthan HC on Friday, there is little the FIH can do to implement its ultimatum.

“Anyways, the World Cup is a joint venture between the IOA and the FIH. So HI doesn’t really come into the picture directly. I don’t think they can take the World Cup away from us,” IOA president Suresh Kalmadi told DNA.

It is highly unlikely that the HI elections will happen before the World Cup, if the court stay order is not lifted. HI polls were deferred for the third time after the Rajasthan HC stayed the minutes of a crucial meeting held on January 11.

The ad-hoc body is expected to appeal to the higher court on
January 27 requesting that the stay order be lifted.

FIH said they will make an announcement on Monday and it will be interesting to see if they continue to remain stern. The international governing body’s president Leandro Negre wasn’t comfortable with the idea of the HI elections being held so close to the World Cup.

“We need to have a proper body in place to run the sport. It needs to be formed before the World Cup. It is essential if India is to host the event,” Negre had said.

A World Cup organising committee member said: “It will be difficult logistically too. Everything is ready in Delhi and to move it or cancel it so late would be irrational.”