Hockey India hits back at Sports Ministry
NEW DELHI: Hockey India general secretary Narinder Batra accused Sports Ministry of encouraging groupism and creating pressure on them to affiliate Punjab Association for the elections.
“We were pressurised by the sports ministry to grant affiliation to Punjab. They didn’t deserve it but under pressure we had to oblige despite there were disputes in the state unit,” Batra told reporters.
“Sports Ministry of Government of India is behaving like sports ministry of Government of Punjab. In no other state unit, they have shown such interest. This goes on to show a systematic calumny against HI and its office bearers. I don’t know what agenda they have but it is certainly unfair on us,” he added.
Batra also went on to say that former HI president A K Matto resigned because he could not put up with the constant harassment by the sports ministry.
“Sports Ministry have always dictated terms to Hockey India and A K Mattoo also was under a lot of pressure. It was then when he was accused of financial mismanagement, he could not take it anymore. One of the reasons of his resignation was the harassment caused by the ministry,” he said.
Batra also informed that the Hockey India was not even invited to the inauguration ceremony of Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium on Sunday.
“Hockey India was not even invited to the National Stadium inauguration. Anupam Gulati was there because he was invited by the Sports Authority of India and Jagbir Singh attended it as an Olympian. We didn’t get any invitation,” he said.
Batra circulated a booklet detailing the minutes of the various meetings that have taken place so far in the run up to the Hockey India elections.
Batra also rubbished former player Pargat Singh’s allegation that Hockey India was trying to negotiate a deal with Hockey Punjab to get Indian Olympic Association president Suresh Kalmadi at the helm.
“Pargat’s outbursts were not only unwarranted but absolutely out of context. Kalmadi is not party to the HM’s (Hockey Maharashtra) poll processes. There is no negotiation. Also it is untrue that Pargat had to run around for 10 days. Hockey Punjab was given affiliation within 24 hours after due process,” he said.
“And their affiliation was delayed because they did not include the women’s team of officials and regarding this anomaly a clarification was asked from them,” he added.