A different test of Pargat’s resilience
NEW DELHI: Pargat Singh won a significant battle in Punjab recently before gearing up for a duel for power in Hockey India. He has travelled thus far unscathed and if everything goes well on July 28, he should be within sniffing distance of the pedestal that will signal his growth from a venturesome India captain to an equally powerful administrator.
Pargat knows that this is easier said than done. “In the first place, I need to win. If that is done, then I can begin implementing my plans for the betterment of the game.”
Pargat’s challenge in Punjab was the unification of hockey factions among men and women which swore allegiance either to the state or Patiala and East Punjab States Union (Pepsu). The journey was riddled with pitfalls but the solution that came about, thanks to conciliation and hard bargaining, saw Punjab emerge as one strong unit.
The unification process is Pargat’s USPs as he takes on 83-year-old Vidya Stokes for the post of the president. Punjab was the microcosm and a victory on Wednesday would be the first step for Pargat to bring all factions of the game together and start the exercise all over again, this time across India.
The reasons: For one, Pargat does not want to sway voters opinion with just days to go for the election. The other is that the suspense over the electoral college is not over yet what with lawsuits in many states coming up for hearing in the next two days. Court verdicts will be critical, not merely in terms of overhauling the voters’ list but also tell him clearly where each state’s priority lies.
For all the attention it has garnered, Hockey India election will cater in the main to non-hockey administrators. There are no known candidates from any of the southern states. Court battles are on in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra in the south even as Maharashtra, Bombay, Vidarbha, MP, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttaranchal, Tripura, Delhi and Chandigarh are seeking legal remedy, with either factions or individuals moving courts.