HI elections may be delayed further

MUMBAI: The Hockey India (HI) polls look certain to be further delayed. An order passed by the Mumbai High Court on Wednesday has given HI six weeks to arrive at a decision regarding the affiliation of Maharshtra Hockey Association (MHA), forbidding them from carrying out any election procedure until then.

The two-division bench comprising Justice KR Joshi and Justice DK Deshmukh had asked the HI representatives to be present at the hearing and questioned the 10-month delay in considering MHA’s application for affiliation. At the latest hearing, the bench instructed HI not to take any decision on the managing committee, including the elections, until MHA’s affiliation was sorted out.

The order has come as a big boost for MHA. “We’ve been struggling for the past 10 months since the application was filed and this is a definite victory for us. This judgment holds great significance for other associations which have been struggling for affiliation like us,” said MHA spokesperson Joaquim Carvalho.

The Wednesday court order follows the Jaipur HC order which had put a stay on the minutes of the January 11 meeting of HI, in which the affiliation process was given final touches. It seems unlikely now that the elections will be held before the hockey World Cup, which begins in New Delhi on Feb 28.