Court order to leave a hole in IOA coffers

By Sandeep Narayan in New Delhi

CALCUTTA High Court’s Justice Indira Banerjee ordered Sahara India Ltd to deposit Rs 2.11 crore as sponsorship amount which was due as per their contract with the dissolved Indian Hockey Federation ( IHF) into a suspense account instead of the IOA- run ad hoc committee, which is currently in charge of the sport in India.

The legal tussle between the old IHF committee, chaired by KPS Gill, and Leisure Sports Management ( LSM), the marketing group for Sahara, began after a prayer made by the former.

Old committee alleged the LSM had obtained an interim order from this court by suppressing some facts in February last year. However, through this interim order, the Calcutta High Court stayed the notice issued by the old committee that the hockey players would play international matches without wearing the Sahara logo on their jerseys and Sahara will now continue to pay the sponsorship fee.

The irony of this entire verdict is that now the Indian hockey team will don Sahara’s logo in every tournament it participates in, but the ad hoc committee, which has been running the sport for the last one year and has been spending money on the team, won’t receive a single penny.

While Justice Banerjee has informed the ad hoc committee that they can appeal the verdict, but till then the entire sum will remain in a suspense account and can only be accessed once a newlyelected IHF is in power.

This raises a pertinent question as to how long can the IOA bankroll the Indian hockey team from its own coffers and a little bit of government funding.

“ Most of the expenditure for the team is done by the IOA. We basically pay for their travel, boarding, lodging and the costs of their training camps, not to mention player incentives. Of course we get government funding as well,” said a member of the IOA. The sponsorship money should be used for the development of the sport and should not remain in one account waiting for its rightful owner to collect it. Of course this would not happen if the elections for the IHF are held.

Asked about the implications of the court’s verdict on hockey in general, members of the ad hoc committee refused to comment.

“ We are still waiting for the order and only after reading the verdict will we know where we stand. Till then I cannot comment on the case and its repercussions or whether we will appeal,” said a member of the ad hoc committee.

sandeep.narayan@mailtoday.inCourtesy: Mail Today