Hockey India is at present the ruling dispensation of hockey in India. Despite a flurry of court cases and quicksand politicking, Hockey India stays put — and it is its strength — therefore the hockey fraternity in India is well aware of its current strong position.
However, one journalist in India, who happens to work for Times of India, doesn’t know the situation, and has given an impression in a largely ignored report that the FIH has recognized IHF as the governing body of hockey in India.
So, the FIH, which has a history not reacting to media reports, has come out with a clarification to the effect that the FIH recognizes HI as the sole body for hockey in India.
To make matters simple, we reproduce the letter of FIH written by Kerry Fairweather, its CEO verbatim.
I write in relation to the story that appeared in the Times of India on 6 November 2012, which stated:
‘[Dinesh] Reddy takes over the reins of the [Indian Hockey Federation (‘IHF’)] just a few weeks after the International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced that it recognised IHF as its representative in India. This announcement came after the Delhi High Court reinstated it as the national sports federation in place of Hockey India.’
I wish to confirm that Hockey India is the FIH’s member for India. It is therefore quite wrong to suggest that the FIH recognises the IHF as ‘its representative in India’.
The IHF has not been the FIH’s member for India since 2000. Since 2011, however, it has argued that it should be recognised as the FIH’s member for India instead of Hockey India. Earlier this year, therefore, the FIH invited the IHF to substantiate its claim that it meets the criteria for membership set out in the FIH Statutes and that Hockey India does not, including by getting the endorsement of the Indian Olympic Association (the ‘IOA’) that is required under the FIH Statutes. However, the FIH made it clear that unless and until the IHF could make such a showing, the status quo would stand, i.e., Hockey India would continue to be recognised as the FIH’s member.
The IHF agreed to this proposal and duly sought the endorsement of the IOA. However, when the IOA announced that it endorses Hockey India (and not the IHF) as the central authority for hockey in India, the IHF went to court in India to challenge that decision, alleging bias on the part of the IOA. The court has set that challenge for trial in March 2013 and in the meantime has ordered that the status quo be maintained. And, as noted above, that status quo is that it is Hockey India (and not the IHF) that is recognised as the FIH’s member for India.
I hope this clarifies matters sufficiently.