IHF, HI take rigid posture

M.S.Unnikrishnan

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) today held a meeting with the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and Hockey India (HI) to work out a solution to the threat held out by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) that it would bar India from all the international events sanctioned by it, including the 2012 London Olympics, if HI was not recognised as the sole custodians of the game in the country.

The IOA called the meeting at Olympic Bhawan, following a letter written by FIH president Leandro Negre to the Sports Ministry on September 27, asking the Ministry to recognise only Hockey India as it did not approve of the truce worked out between IHF and HI, at the behest of Sports Minister Ajay Maken, for the smooth running of the game in the country.

The FIH felt that the truce was in violation of the Olympic Charter, which stipulates that there should be only one body for one game (both men and women), which was also the rule followed by the FIH. But the Ministry had to restore the recognition to the IHF following a Delhi High Court verdict in its favour.

The IOA also supports only one body for both men and women hockey and did not support the hockey truce, as it argued that the team will eventually be fielded in the Olympics under the IOA banner. IOA acting president Vijay Kumar Malhotra, secretary-general Raja Randhir Singh and R.K. Anand met the IHF and HI representatives. Both IHF and HI were represented by five members each.

The IHF team included former president and adviser KPS Gill and former Women’s Hockey Association of India secretary-general Amrit Bose while the HI team included secretary-general Narinder Bhatra, associate vice-president Rajiv Mehta and treasurer Mohammad Mushtaq Ahmed.

But a source said the issue was very complicated with court cases and all, and only through concerted efforts and only when IHF and HI discard their rigid postures, could a solution be worked out. The IHF is learnt to have made it clear that Indian hockey could survive without the support of the FIH as the World Series Hockey (WSH), which it was launching later this year in association with Nimbus, would give Indian hockey a greater push and make the players richer.

Each player would stand to benefit to the tune of Rs 20 lakh, and the IHF argued that if IPL in cricket, and professional leagues in basketball and football, could survive then the WSM too could create its own niche, and playing in the Olympics was not such a great deal.

A source confirmed that the road ahead would be very tough, though the IOA would persist with this effort to bring a solution. The Sports Ministry has also called a meeting of the three stake holders – IOA, IHF and HI – on October 14 to work out a solution. Joint secretary in the Ministry Rahul Bhatnagar is expected to chair that meeting.