Stokes to replace Mattoo as Hockey India president
The resignation of Ashok Kumar Mattoo, who quit from the posts of president of Hockey India and treasurer of the 2010 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, was accepted on Monday.
Vidya Stokes, a senior vice-president of HI, will take over till the elections slated for February 7 while All India Tennis Association secretary general Anil Khanna will be the new treasurer in the CWG Organising Committee.
Mattoo had sent in his resignation two days back to OC chairman Suresh Kalmadi, saying he has made up his mind to “take retirement from sports administration.”
Hockey India’s executive committee met here on Monday to discuss Mattoo’s resignation and asked Stokes to take charge till the elections were over.
“We tried to convince him to continue but he did not agree, so the executive committee accepted his resignation. As a senior vicepresident, I have been asked to take charge for the time being,” Stokes told reporters.
Mattoo had been at the centre of a players’ rebellion last week over nonpayment of sponsorship money. He had pleaded with the players to continue training and wait until after the World Cup for their payments, an offer that was outrightly rejected by the striking campers. The matter was later resolved with Kalmadi brokering a compromise deal after team sponsors Sahara India released Rs 1 crore for distribution among the players Mattoo, who had put in his papers after being deeply hurt by the allega tions levelled against him during the controversy, stuck to his stand of not reconsidering his decision . despite request from Kalmadi and other senior colleagues.