Hyderabad: President of the dissolved Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) K.P.S. Gill will be here to attend Thursday’s Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) meeting as one of its five vice-presidents.
Gill told IANS that he would indeed be attending the meeting as an elected member of the Asian body.
Technically, he cannot be stopped as he is in the midst of a four-year term.
Though not totally unexpected, Gill’s move has placed members of the ad-hoc committee, appointed by the Indian Olympic Committee (IOA), in a quandary.
With the AHF and the International Hockey Federation (FIH) meetings slated Thursday, there could be an embarrassment for the IOA chief Suresh Kalmadi, who is also the ad-hoc committee chairman, if Gill creates a scene inside the meeting.
“Yes. I will attend the AHF meeting. I am the vice-president and I will be there,” Gill said from New Delhi before leaving for Hyderabad.
AHF secretary P. Alagendra said he was not aware that Gill would be attending the AHF Council meeting chaired by its president Sultan Azlan Shah.
“I do not have any knowledge about it. You ask the Indian ad-hoc committee,” Alagendra said.
Asked whether Gill can represent India in the AHF meeting as IHF had been dissolved, he said: “He has been elected as vice-president of AHF in 2006 and he will stay till the end of his tenure in 2010. But I do not know who will represent India. We will come to know it at the meeting.”
Secretary-general of the dissolved IHF, K. Jothikumaran, who was caught in the bribery scandal that ultimately led to the dissolution of the body, is also a member of the Asian body but sources said he is not expected to attend the meeting.
Ad-hoc committee sources said Kalmadi and convener of the committee Mohammad Aslam Khan will attend the meeting.
There is bound to be some fireworks at the meeting with both Gill and ad-hoc committee claiming to represent Indian hockey and the president’s ruling will be interesting.
The meeting will discuss the development of hockey in Asia and also the venue of the senior Asia Cup next year. India is expected to bid for the event.
Since IHF was dissolved Gill has been giving a tough time to the ad-hoc committee and had reportedly cancelled Indian junior team’s trip to Portugal.