Olympic qualifiers to stay in India: International Hockey Federation
In what comes as a relief to the hockey fraternity in the country, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has decided to conduct the Olympic qualifying tournament in New Delhi in February next year and declared Hockey India as the sole governing body.
The FIH executive board, on Saturday, unanimously decided to go ahead with the tournament, which will be played from February 18 to 26. The world body had threatened to take the tournament away from India over the sport’s governing issues. It had already scrapped India as the hosts of the Champions Trophy, which was supposed to be held in December.
With time running out for India to save the hosting rights of next year’s Olympic qualifiers, FIH had summoned Hockey India to present its case before the world body’s executive council.
However, reassurances given by Hockey India secretary general Narendra Batra proved satisfactory.
The FIH’s insistence that Hockey India will remain the sole governing body of the sport in the country will come as a major blow to the Indian Hockey Federation’s ambition to return to power. The sports ministry is understood to have supported FIH’s decision and that can have a major impact on the merger of the two bodies.