Brand at the cost of who parented it

Hockey India Mess: Is FIH the Cultprit Series? Part II

FIH commissioned Promoting Indian Hockey Project in the late 2006. After exploratory studies, the Project’s Director Bob Davidzon submitted a report. This report took note of two associations working in India each for men and women, and observed the following:

At this moment there are three National hockey (con) Federations. IHF, IWHF and IHC ((founded in 2000, to comply with the statues and bye-laws of he FIH as the sole body — for men and women — representing India internationally. The separate structure of hockey for men and women in India has historical, demographic and emotional backgrounds. There is however also a financial benefit whereas the two original Federation are both recognized by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and subsidized on national and state level. Possible cost savings through complete amalgamation will certainly not offset loss of subsidies. However, there are a growing number of areas of common interest that should/could be dealt with by the IHC and its members. Over time the co-operation will no doubt bring benefits and should be encouraged both on national and state level.

The above assertion gives a clear idea as to the thinking of the FIH on Indian hockey administration. It had no problem with the IHC arrangement then – thankfully because it is they who approved its constitution, thereby facilitating Indian team take part in two Olympics (2000 and 2004). International Olympic Committee stipulated single body for each sport as a pre-condition for Olympics participation and set the deadline Dec 1999. Formation of IHC despite IWHF’s strong views and non-cooperative attitude, recognition of thereof by the FIH settled the issue of merger in the early 2000.

The FIH never uttered the word Hockey India till July 2008, that is even four months after KPS Gill was sacked and the Project India was in operation for almost 18 preceding months.

First time the word Hockey India was put into our minds and media was during the Junior Asia Cup in Hyderabad, when the ad-hoc committee settled down and firmly entrenched in the seat of power.

You can easily guess whose brainchild and invention is this.

The question here is, under what name merged body should be called is nobody’s business other than India.

It was then a fancy in the west and Oceania hockey worlds to brand their hockey organization. Countries like Australia copied other popular sports in their own country like rugby and cricket to call itself Hockey Australia. It was done three years ago. FIH, without compromising its organizational structured re-branded it as World Hockey. Just because FIH has branded its name to appear more dynamic and marketable, it does not mean the organization (FIH) has been renamed. Not at all. We all know both World Hockey and FIH exist.

In Singapore, for instance, the things are same. Both Singapore Hockey Federation and Singapore Hockey exist. SHA is branding itself into Singapore Hockey with a new logo which is in tune with modernity, changing sporting values and market needs. This is what we observed in the visiting card images shown in the previous story.

Women cricketers merged with BCCI in India. ICC did not ask the BCCI to change its name. else, our editors would have trained their guns at the ICC!

In normal course same would have occurred in hockey as well. It is upto the men and women, the stakeholders of hockey in India to decide under what name and brand they want to showcase and function.

Now the irony is brand has been converted into organization after the organizations that parented the brand is disaffiliated in one stroke!

So, our hockey has become butt of buffoonry

This is a day light constitutional fraud, can happen only in hockey.

No one has the right to say the Indian Hockey Federation does not exist. Sorry to mention that IHF is not as week as FIH in some respect. FIH in the past was known as IHF (International Hockey Federation) and had to – or forced to – change its name to FIH as it coincided with the International Hand ball Federation.

Indian Hockey Federation never had this blur.

It was born, grown and ironically put at rest on the same name.

Anyone who has any idea of history or believe a thing called heritage should have never thought of erasing a name like Indian Hockey Federation, but had been done, as it looks anybody can do anything at a drop of hat, seems jungle raj in play, as unfortunately hockey is away from public glare to get away with such horrendous act.

IHF was the first non-European organization to join the FIH – in other words first from among the whole of Asian, Pan American, Oceania and African continents.

How can, in overnight, one can say such a historical organization does not exist? It is foolish and stupid thing to do and then equally foolish and stupid to accept it. Both has unfortunately happened in India. None seemed to have taken note of, not to talk of condemn it.

If Australia wants to brand itself as Hockey Australia it is their sweet will. India need not copy a county’s model as that of Australia and alike, because they took part in the Olympic hockey as the it was held in their country!! Organizationally India need not replicate or copycat any of them. IHF is the proud outfit that sent its hockey team even the country was under the grip of colonial powers.

Then how things have happened like this?

As already mentioned, Hockey India concept was never in the FIH scheme of things. It first came after the permanently serving, so called ad-hoc committee saw its chance through this backdoor.

We strongly feel they did whatever it takes to convince and cajole the FIH to fall in their line of thought which can give them power without being part of the electoral college.

FIH even over-stepped its limit and traditional approach for which it is known for, succumbed to the pressure lobby, knowingly or unknowingly.

Merger, if the FIH is not satisfied with its own approved IHC, is a far reaching issue. Of all the people, only the FIH knew the ground reality in India. On FIH’s strong recommendation, Gill’s body was dissolved and those in the say are holding the posts by virtue of that dissolution. In short, they are not entitled to enter into dialogue with FIH, in a manner of speaking. Did the FIH ever ask why the adhoc body is continuing, doing everything to delay the court directive of producing election plan etc? Absolutely no. There is therefore strong room to believe the intentions of FIH. Call it the biggest challenge the new FIH set-up faced or their inability to comprehend the complex Indian situation, the fact was process of merger was entrusted to people who are morally and legally not entitled to do. You can’t ask somebody who are nobody to hockey to decide the fate of two serving organizations (IHF and IWHF). Certainly, somebody got a lottory, made us of the godsend situation.

There is no other way of understanding the situation.

Some of the FIH’s actions need thorough scrutiny and how it all went to support the present adhoc people, keeping the stake holders of the IHF and IWHF (read State Hockey Associations) in dark.

Those in the next dispatch.