Hockey on the highway to nowhere?
Prabhjot Singh
Tribune News Service
Indian hockey is in a limbo. None of the three national federations claiming to be genuine bodies administering the control of the sport in the country have recognition from all three parental or controlling bodies – Federation Internationale de Hockey (FIH), Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the Ministry of Sports, Government of India.
Mired in controversies, Hockey India, claiming to be the only body recognised by both the FIH and the IOA, held its elections on August 5. And within hours of electing Vidya Stokes of Himachal Pradesh as the new president of the unified body, it had its recognition by Ministry of Sports withdrawn. The reason given for withdrawal of recognition was failure of the new body to accept and implement guidelines that regulate continuation in office to a maximum of 12 years besides prohibiting organisers older than 70 years from contesting elections to the office of president or secretary-general of a national sports federation.
Hockey India declared itself to be a private body to keep itself out of the clamp of guidelines. And when the handpicked Electoral College held its election meeting on August 5, it, too, endorsed the decision of the ad hoc committee for rejecting guidelines by electing 83-year-old Vidya Stokes as the new president.
Vidya Stokes, a senior Congress leader, has been associated with womens’ hockey for a long period. She is no doubt one of the finest persons in sports administration in the country and has mostly steered clear of any controversy. Her opponent in the race for presidentship was none-other than one of the most decorated hockey player and sports administrator Pargat Singh, who, incidentally, is almost half her age. Pargat may have been to three Olympics, twice as captain of the national team, but some of his contemporaries, who were in the Electoral College, preferred to vote for the Apple Lady of Himachal Pradesh.
Goalkeeper AB Subbiah, winger Thoiba Singh, Halfback Rekha and deep depender Pushpa Srivastav – all hockey internationals – who initially promised to support Pargat Singh, switched loyalties at the last moment.
Another set back for Pargat came from the units of north India – Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana and Chandigarh – as they all chose to stand by Vidya Stokes in preference to him. Many argue that even if Pargat had won, it would not have helped the cause of the sport as the Ministry had withdrawn its recognition given to Hockey India. Ifs and buts never take anyone anywhere.
Those who had been closely following the developments before the August 5 elections must have been aware of the efforts being made to get a single, unified body in place so that the game and its players do not suffer any more. Lot of behind-the-scene activities took place. But open condemnation of the government and its guidelines by one of the key figure, both in ad hoc committee and now elected committee, brought all such efforts to a nought.
With Hockey India de-recognised, now the focus has again shifted back to Indian Hockey Federation headed by KPS Gill. The Ministry of Sports has lent its weight behind the Federation asking the FIH to recognise this body. Till IHF and All-India Women Hockey Association merge, the Ministry wants that teams sent under the banner of the IOA should be accepted in various international tournaments, including the Women’s World Cup in Argentina, Commonwealth Games in New Delhi and Asian Games in Guangzhou in the coming months. FIH finds itself in a fix. It has already allotted the 2011 Champions Trophy to India. With government backing out, Hockey India may not find it easy to hold the event till it falls in line and accepts the guidelines. In that case, the FIH will have either to recognise IHF allowing it a grace period to form a unified body with the AIWHA or allow the Champions Trophy conducted under the banner of the IOA.
Hockey India is also toying with the idea of seeking legal redressal of its de-recognition by the government. Whatever be the case, the worst hit are the players. Their careers and future stands jeopardised till the time the whole muddle is resolved.