Unity in diversity

Uthra G Chaturvedi

Hockey in India will finally be managed by a single administrative body. Though, what the warring factions have achieved after three years of acrimony followed by two months of hectic parlaying is a temporary one-and-half years of truce. This will help thwart an increasingly aggressive sports ministry from taking a decision on the sport’s future into its hands, while also streamlining the preparations for 2012 Olympics.

Monday witnessed a marathon eight-hour meeting between Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) president RK Shetty and Hockey India (HI) secretary Narinder Batra, moderated by sports secretary Sindhushri Khullar and joint secretary Injeti Srinivas in person, while sports minister Ajay Maken was also engaged in a teleconference from New York to come out with a deal that will be in place till December 31, 2012.

And, with major international events coming to India in the next one year, including the Olympic qualifiers, the timing could not have been better for a reconciliation.

As per the new agreement signed (see box), a Joint Executive Board (JEB) has been put in place which will be responsible for India’s representation in all international and national events, even as the warring factions will retain their identities for the time being. The JEB will have 39 members (20 from HI and 19 from IHF) while a joint Working Committee of eight members (4 each) will be formed simultaneously, and include joint sub-committees, to look after other areas.

Welcome, Bharat Hockey

HI, meanwhile, has agreed to change its name but will continue to get the mandate from the international body. According to sources, the new name is likely to be Bharat Hockey.

“Even though there will be both HI and IHF existing simultaneously in the country, the joint working committee will govern the sport — selecting, training and fielding teams in international events and conduct national tournaments, including the national championships,” HI secretary general Batra said, adding that change of name will not dilute HI’s importance.

Both Batra and Shetty added that in every other area of operation, the two parties would continue working independently, though neither completely ruled out a possible unification in the future.

About the proposed World Series Hockey — the main bone of contention in the previous meeting and one of the reasons the deal fell through initially — Batra said, “We will have our league, they will have theirs. Neither side will be responsible for the financial encumberances or profits of the other. We will work together at the national level and the state units will sit together for selecting a state team. Both parties have to work with full honesty and if that happens and a level of trust is developed, anything is possible. But we will see that after 2012,” Batra said.

On his part, Shetty felt that no one was above the sport. “We are grateful to the Sports Minister and the officials for their efforts. In the end, it is not about individuals, it is about Indian hockey,” Shetty said.

No action against players

Meanwhile, the five senior players who skipped training last week for a WSH promotional event — Adrian D’Souza, Arjun Halappa, Sardar Singh, Prabhjot Singh and Sandeep Singh — will be back to training from Tuesday.

The players have been barred from practicing with the rest of the probables at the ongoing national camp in Bangalore since Saturday.

“There will be no problem in that, the players will be back to training. Ultimately, it is the national interest that matters,” Shetty added.

Salient points of the deal

* IHF and HI shall continue to be separate legal entities.

* HI and IHF shall set up a Joint Executive Board (till 31-12-2012) consisting of the existing Executive Boards of HI and IHF for the limited purposes of holding annual national championship, selection of the national team in different categories, preparation of the national team and participation of the national team in FIH approved international tournaments.

* The JEB will be responsible for all decisions pertaining to selection of the national team, selection of the coaching and other personnel and drawing up the teams’ calendar. IHF will be equally represented on all committees for this purpose. A Joint Working Committee consisting of the presidents of HI and IHF and three members each from HI and IHF will also be formed.

* National Championships will be jointly held by IHF and HI after holding joint selection of state teams.

* The name of HI would be changed.

* JEB shall be chaired by the HI president and co-chaired by IHF president.

* No restrictions on participation of players in WSH contracted before 01.04.2011, subject to training schedule and duration for which players can be spared.

* Provisional recognition to HI as National Sports Federation and status quo for recognition of IHF up to Dec 31, 2012, subject to setting up of the JEB and JWC within seven days of grant of recognition and the JWC initiating process of change of name of Hockey India.

Issues that remain

* The joint body formed will follow HI constitution, something that IHF is not too happy about

* The cut-off date for signing players for WSH has not been removed

* Most important are the ongoing legal cases between HI and IHF, none of which will be withdrawn

* KPS Gill’s role — will remain ‘Godfather’ but no clarity if he will have any rights