Hockey gets stick from power-hungry IOA

Age Correspondent

New Delhi

June 4: “I wouldn’t stay a minute more than required,” Suresh Kalmadi had said when the Indian Olympic Association dissolved the K.P.S. Gill-led Indian Hockey Federation in 2008.

After 13 months and eight days, the IOA president came up with yet another ad-hoc measure — the association randomly nominating seven members to run Hockey India — that can have a serious bearing on the future of the national sport. Yet another stop-gap arrangement is the last thing the game needed at this hour.

Though Kalmadi might claim to have saved the rights to host the 2010 World Cup in New Delhi, the fact that newly appointed Hockey India president A.K. Mattoo was unaware of his appointment till late Wednesday afternoon clearly exposes the IOA’s shortcomings.

It is now an open secret that the IOA is extremely keen to host the 2010 World Cup under its helm, which will be a huge boost ahead of the Commonwealth Games.

Said a source, “It is nothing but a face-saving act. The IOA is hell-bent on holding the World Cup, and has no interest in forming an elected body. If it was really serious, the work would have started after the first FIH warning that came a good two months ago.”

Also with the affiliated state units conveniently sidelined, it is apparent that the hurriedly put in place Hockey India has evoked more questions than answers.

Out of the seven nominated members — other than women’s hockey federation chief Vidya Stokes and J&K Association chief Narindra Batra — the rest have never been associated with the game.

Also curious is the case of Batra, who so far had been the most vocal of all the state units pressing for elections.

Surprisingly, the J&K chief joined the ranks without blinking an eyelid this time.

Said Karnataka State Hockey Association secretary K. Krishnamurthy, “Batra has turned out to be an opportunist. Hockey India, as Mr Kalmadi terms it, is an unethical, illegal and undemocratic body.

“According to the IOA constitution, there needs to be a elected body and not a nominated one.

“The IOA has clearly exceeded its brief here.. it does not possess any right to nominate a body on its own.

“The sole purpose is to stage the World Cup, and earn brownie points. I do not think we can trust Kalmadi anymore,” he said.

Peeved with the development, the state units on Thursday sent a letter to FIH president Leandro Negre.

“We will take the bull by the horns now. We have sent letters to sports minister M.S Gill and also to the FIH president, asking them not to recognise Hockey India. We have asked for two months time to hold proper elections,” said Krishnamurthy.

With the IOA and the state units at loggerheads, where does it leave Indian hockey?

Fair elections seem the only way out, but with so many legal tangles involved — the K.P.S. Gill case against the ad-hoc committee still pending in the court — how and when they will take place is anybody’s guess.

It will be important to see the world body’s reaction now, who it is apparent aren’t too pleased with in-house bickering. The world body refused to react on the day, saying it was keeping a close tab on the proceedings.

Said FIH communications manager Arjen Meijer from Lausanne, “The FIH has no comments to make at the moment. Mr Negre is keeping a close watch and you will hear from us soon.”