K ARUMUGAM

Elena Norman, 1st CEO of Hockey India, has been forced to resign. Various former players, the sport’s well wishers and media by and large rue her decision, which was round the corner for about a year. Elena was first  professional Chief Executive Officer of any Olympic sport in India and has set high standard for others to emulate in her long tenure.  Its painful the pioneering professional had to bow out of factionalism within the Hockey India set up.

She has run hockey for 13 non-stop, eventful years. Being loyal and committed, she gave shape to all HI policies in a manner how a professional would. India hosted so many — record nos — major international events without a single major lapse. Its remarkable. Each year HI conducted 20+ National Championships alone! Besides, innumerable umpiring and coaching development activities. More so, the manner the HI’s website shaped up and the MU portal functions made the NF a role model for others in India. Once a chaotic admin (IHF Days) had become a thoroughly professional.

Any visitor would agree the HI in her regime functioned like an MNC, delivered things on time, sense of professionalism had been imbibed in everyone. Her role in hockey steering heights as now it is, is appreciable. A kick-boxer athlete herself, she had set benchmark that will not be easy for any successor to match. Ironically, HI has shifted from MNC like office to National Stadium recently, but old timers would wish the professionalism stays, unlike when hockey was run in the said stadium for decades!!

Factionalism is cause of her exit, but 13 years in a post is neither short. Would have been nice had she been treated fairly in the last one year or so. She was not paid her salaries last three months, which was cleared very recently.

Whatever it is, she has heartfelt applaud from none other than Padamshree Dilip Tirkey, constitutionally at the helm of affairs. I join him in wishing her good luck in her career, in her next steps. She was nightmare for most employees which was secret of her success; she was eyesore for many which was reason for her being edged out. When she was given the top post within short span of HI came into being, many questions were raised, some of them seemed reasonable, but she proved her worth in the long run.

Say Ajit Pa Singh, World Cup hero, posted in the writer’s social media handle: ” She has done a great job for organizing Indian Hockey when India even failed to qualify for the Olympic games in 2008 and so on to organizing world class flawless competitions in India, Bronze Medal in the Olympic games in Tokyo 2020 where All Indian Hockey lovers go Ga Ga celebrating the the achievement .. Let’s give her the deserving due when she is leaving Hockey India scene .. I wish her the best.. She is a competent Administrator. 

Adds his colleague Brig Harcharan Singh: She did an excellent job as CEO of HI. She was instrument in many a HI Programmes organised in most professional manner and with absolute efficiency. Ellena you have done your bit here in India.Best wishes for your future endeavours’. 

An ardent fan Laxmi Vaikunth lamented in Social Media: ‘Sir, your writeup is a fitting tribute to the wonder woman Elena Norman who took Indian Hockey to its peak once again. Team ‘We Are For Hockey takes this opportunity to thank you for all support rendered to us by Mam. Wishing you the best for all your future endeavors’.