Ahead of court hearing, FIH reiterates support for HI
A day before the long-drawn battle for government recognition between IHF and HI comes up in the Supreme Court, the the international body has reiterated its own stand regarding the entire issue.
In a strongly-worded letter to the Indian Hockey federaton, the FIH has asked it to stop claiming international recogition. The letter, addressed to IHF secretary general Ashok Mathur, reiterates its stand that it recognises only Hockey India as the sole and exclusive national governing body for the sport for both men and women in India.
“Contrary to the claim in your letterhead that the IHF is ‘affiliated to FIH’, in fact the HF has not been a member of or otherwise affiliated to the FIH since 2001,” the letter from FIH president Leandro Negre states. The letter said “the IHF is required to stop claiming (in its letterhead or otherwise) that it is affiliated to the FIH, because it was not true”.
Negre also made it clear that any objection to FIH’s decision of recognising HI is without basis. “As the IOC-recognised international governing body for the sport of hockey, the FIH has the absolute right under the Olympic Charter and the FIH statutes to decide who to recognise and admit as the national governing body for the sport in each territory; and HI meets all requirements set out in the FIH statutes,” the letter states.