We still insist on free and fair elections: Roy

Shailendra Awasti

On Sunday in New Delhi, the erstwhile president of the defunct Indian Hockey Federation, KPS Gill, while claiming overwhelming support from state units, softened his stance towards the Indian Olympic Association. On Monday in Mumbai, there was another press conference — led by president of the Bengal Hockey Association JB Roy and long-standing secretary of the erstwhile Indian Women’s Hockey Association Amrit Bose — that flaunted the signatures of 25 men’s and 22 women’s units, questioning the way the IOA have formed a unified Hockey India.

They also promised that the units supporting them will unify very soon and demanded free and fair elections to Hockey India. “We just want free and fair elections. That’s what various representatives who had assembled at Aamby Valley on Sunday are demanding,” Roy said.

Letter from Kalmadi

It was also informed that they have received a letter from IOA president Suresh Kalmadi inviting them for talks. “The members have unanimously authorised me and Roy to meet Kalmadi. This is a good beginning,” Bose said. “We put the matter before the house and it was resolved that (Roy and Bose) have unanimous support to negotiate with the IOA to get a democratic system in place.”

Reiterating the state associations’s demand for time-bound elections to Hockey India, Bose said, “We would not like to lay any condition during the meeting. We would hear what he (Kalmadi) has to say, and then discuss it with our member units.”

Interestingly, several state associations seem to be playing a wait and watch game, aligning with both factions. While Karnataka secretary K Krishnamurthy and Tamil Nadu president V Bhaskaran were present in Mumbai, their respective president and secretary were present at Gill’s meeting on Sunday.