Gill will talk about Asian hockey, not represent India: Kalmadi

Hyderabad, July 18 (IANS) In a snub to K.P.S. Gill, Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Suresh Kalmadi said Friday that the sacked Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) president will only discuss the developments of Asian hockey and will have nothing to do with the game in the country.

Gill, who is one of the five vice-presidents of Asian Hockey Federation (AHF), attended the council meeting of the Asian federation here Thursday. He was sacked as the president of the IHF after the IOA dissolved it, following its general secretary K. Jyothikumaran’s involvement in a bribery scandal in April.

Kalmadi toed the line of AHF secretary P. Alagendra, who said Thursday that the members are elected in their individual capacity and as per the constitution Gill will continue to serve his tenure till 2010.

“He has been elected as an individual in AHF and he will continue to be there. Even Jyothikumaran is a member, and we cannot stop them from attending council meeting as per the constitution,” said Kalmadi, who is also the ad-hoc committee chairman, which is now running the men’s sport in the country.

Asked how is it possible as IHF has been dissolved, Kalmadi said: “The Asian body has its its own rule but he (Gill) will not represent India. Amrit Bose and Vidya Stokes, the president and secretary of Indian Women’s Hockey Federation respectively, will represent India in the AHF council.”

Asked if Gill is not representing India what will be his role in the AHF, Kalmadi said: “They will talk about the developments in Asian hockey.” IANS