Starting from today, we will be bringing out each day an article on the ongoing Hockey India mess
Background for the Hockey India Series with some Posers
BACKGROUND: I have been getting many queries, phone calls and emails on the subject of ongoing Indian Hockey mess. Hockey lovers, NRIs in particular, are confused especially why Gill is still a talking point. So far the public has been by and large getting the voice of those in the seat of power. Besides the IOA manufactured adhoc committee turned into a Hockey India set up, there are two other players involved, JB Roy and KPS Gill. This triangle is too much to understand as at least Gill has followed the aya ram gaya ram stance. Therefore, it needs lot of patience and matching material to understand the reality. This writer wants to give a clear picture to the contemporary issue with a sound back up of historical perspective.
One big problem in understanding complex contemporary Indian hockey scenario is sketchy, often fitful, media reports.
Popular print media have been reporting every press conference without proper analysis or perspective, often succumbing to media implants as well. It has been mechanical reporting that lacked soul or substance.
We got only reports, never an in-depth analysis or opinion making columns (Only exception till date is The Hindu newspaper and journalist S. Thyagarajan). No newspaper in India, who seemed to have view on MS Dhoni’s cough and Pakistan players’ pulse rate, took a view or opinion on the current imbroglio called Hockey India. Media haven’t gone beyond press notes and planted stories. Hockey watchers are thus under-enlightened and stuffed with clichés.
Whatever happens in the power corridors of India today – struggle to grab the hockey chair — is wholesomely in the name of Federation Internationale de Hockey (FIH) ’s actual or contrived directives. Whether the FIH would like it or not the fact of the matter is those who are now in the seat of power owe their rise to FIH. We do not know or we don’t even care, whether the FIH is aware of the fact that they created and fed the present mess. Joke of all, they even accorded recognition to something that can clearly be called a sham, Hockey India, as conceived by Delhi based sofa administrators (power mongers) who stole hockey in day light.
PREMEABLE AND POSERS: The series therefore will endeavour to bring home the following truths with sound logical back up of each. As the site offers space for anyone (you have to register and then login to post your comment below each article), my omission and commissions can be taken care of by interested parties.
Confederation and Federation exists everywhere, why something different in India?
Indian Hockey Federation by its constitution never meant to be only for men. IWHF was carved out of the IHF and therefore there is no basis for both to be dissolved or disaffiliated under any guise least of all by a UFO called Hockey India?
How allotting World Cup is fast turning into a ransom on India?
How vexed bureaucracy and politico nexus never allow businessman come to sport?
Why should one allow pillars of Indian hockey like KSHA and MHA, whose immovable assets cannot even remotely be compared to IHF’s or IWHF’s, crumble — and to achieve for what?
Hockey India is a brand name accidentally invented by the FIH, cleverly and conveniently smuggled, frauded and appropriated by a self-serving coterie – who can never pump money in to hockey but can only empty public exchequer.
Recognition accorded to Hockey India by the FIH ‘on war footing’ is the most foolish of acts a historian ever come across in the world hockey affairs. (One lady member among 7 and it is a mechanism to usher in and safeguard Gender equality!!!)
How in future court cases going to confuse every one of us, and even stall holding the 2010 World Cup in India?
FIH Secretary General Peter Cohen is a professional lawyer. Does he consider Hockey India’s Memorandum of Association can even remotely be called a Constitution?
Let us see these in seriatum an article each day in this full week.