New Delhi, February 25th 2009:Various State Hockey Associations have come together to launch a campaign to revive Indian hockey and end the current stalemate plaguing the affairs of Indian hockey. Twenty-eight State Associations decided today at a meeting that fresh elections of the Indian Hockey Federations (IHF) should be held at the earliest possible. The meeting announced a multi-pronged action plan to get the national game back on track.
The State Associations decided at the meeting to put forth their demands before the Indian Olympic Association (IOA). All the state associations have authorized the Bengal Hockey Association (BHA) President Mr. J B Roy to take up the election matter with the IOA. Mr. Roy will soon meet the IOA officials to press for urgent elections to IHF.
Mr. Roy along with a delegation will also meet the sports minister Mr. M S Gill to apprise him of the Revive Hockey Campaign initiated at the behest of the state associations. He would draw the minister’s attention towards the deteriorating condition of the national game. The delegation would give a memorandum in this regard to the IOA and the sports ministry.
The meeting unanimously resolved to revive Indian hockey to its pristine glory. The state association meeting expressed complete faith in the leadership of Mr. Roy in taking the Revive Hockey Campaign to its logical end. It may be recalled that the IOA had dissolved the K P S Gill-led IHF last year. Since then the ad hoc committee of the IOA has been managing the affairs of Indian hockey while the matter is still subjudice.
Appreciating the efforts of the IOA, Mr. Roy clarified that this meeting should not be construed as a confrontation with the IOA. But at the same time, he asserted, it was not desirable to manage the affairs of the national game through an ad hoc committee. Mr. Roy further added that all the state associations want that democratically elected officials who are committed to focus on the game and revive its past glory should only manage the Indian hockey affairs.
Bengal Hockey Association Press Release