‘Dissolve IWHF, hold fresh polls’
by Sharad Deep (Hindustan Times)

Lucknow, January 21:
FORMER INDIAN women’s hockey players, including 1982 Asiad Gold
medallist Anurita Saini, are in no mood to accept an allegedly
‘defunct’ Indian Women’s Hockey Federation (IWHF) any more. They have
decided to knock on all doors to weed out bad elements from the
federation. Saini, former assistant coach of the Indian women’s hockey team, on
Wednesday spoke to Hindustan Times about ‘wrong-doings’ by people at
the helm of affairs.

Excerpts.
Q: What’s the reason for your resentment at the present set of IWHF
office-bearers?

A: There’s no personal enmity. In a democratic set-up, everything
should be transparent, but this is not so in the IWHF. Some officials
are running the federation on their whims and fancies, which is
affecting women’s hockey badly.

Q: Did you speak to any authority about this?

A: Just last month, I, along with Arjuna Awardees Pritam Rani Siwach,
Sandeep Kaur, Devinder Bhatia and Sunita Dalal, met Union Sports
Minister MS Gill and complained about malfunctioning of the IWHF. His
(minister’s) response was very encouraging, but he can’t do anything
as sports bodies in our country are autonomous.

Q: What will be the next step to mount pressure on IWHF officials?

A: We have sought an appointment with Indian Olympic Association chief
Suresh Kalmadi. We will meet him soon to lodge our complaints. Our
basic demands are dissolution of the IWHF and fresh elections.

Q: What was the reason for your break with the IWHF?

A: Before the 2006 World Cup, I was assistant manager of the team and
I saved Rs 20 lakh of the diet money given to girls. I distributed the
amount to the girls and this irked the IWHF officials. The IWHF bosses
wanted this money for themselves, though it was meant for the girls.

Q: What plans have you chalked out for the IWHF elections due in March
this year?

A: The heads of most of the 32-34 units across the country are unhappy
with the present set of office-bearers. We are in touch with every
unit head, hoping for a revolt against the IWHF officials when the
elections take place.

Courtesy: Hindustan Times (Lucknow)