Hockey India appoints first-ever Australian CEO

By Mihir Vasavda | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA

Hockey India has appointed Australian marketing professional Elena Norman as its first-ever CEO, sources confirmed on Tuesday. Norman has taken charge last week but her appointment was made official during Hockey India’s meeting with International Hockey Federation (FIH) president Leandro Negre in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Norman, who worked as a marketing consultant for FIH during the hockey World Cup in New Delhi last year, was working with HI earlier as a marketing consultant. But sources said ‘her expertise and willingness to work in the challenging conditions makes her suitable for the job, which demands world-wide knowledge of the game.’ “For the past few months she has been doing her homework, studying the scenario for development of hockey in the country. One thing that worries her is the uncertainty on the part of the sports ministry for recognising Hockey India,” a top HI official told DNA.

Norman earlier worked with a Delhi-based sports management firm before joining HI as a marketing consultant. It is also learnt that Negre has chalked out a plan to host up to three major international and club-level tournaments in India, an annoucement of which will be made at a later date.