Following is the press release by the three State Hockey Associations (Mumbai, Maharashtra and Vidarbha)

The Mumbai Hockey Association Ltd along with the Vidarbha Hockey Association and Maharashtra Hockey Association have come together on a common platform to air their grievances regarding the non-affiliation of our associations and the policy that Hockey India is up to.

Hockey India was formed hastily by the Indian Olympic Association by inducting six IOA Officials from disciplines other than Hockey and it was promised that the elections would be held within six months. This has not been done till date the IOA has go on to unravel its own agenda step by step and bit by bit.

HI’s single agenda was to be in the seat of power, mainly for an additional vote. Can Hockey India explain as to why Mr.Randhir Singh, who was made Convenor/Secretary of the HI resigned from the post and washed off his hands. There have been inherent problems in Hockey India that still exists and Aslam too resigned. Thus, the general public is aware that HI got the basics wrong and failed to protect India’s national game.

The Govt.of India, Ministry of Sports has stressed on the need to have a strong hockey foundation as far as the formation of the national body is concerned but why is Hockey India playing games and destroying the national game which is already in crises. In fact, HI officials had also succeeded in creating misunderstanding amongst the players’ just before the team was to leave for Argentina. Who are these people with vested interest trying to set things right? One that immediately comes to our mind and on the lips of every member hockey unit is a former IHF man who is trying to grab power by colluding with the non-hockey IOA people. The same individual had also filed a case in a high court contesting the IOA and IHF officials holding office for more than eight years. The same person is brokering with the erstwhile IHF Units to become Vice President/Secretary in the proposed Hockey India.

The hopes of redeeming the prestige of erstwhile Units, which have not been extended recognition by HI now wrests with the Honuorable Sports Minister, Mr.Manohar S.Gill, whose honest means cannot be questioned. If one could remember that as an CEO, Mr.Gill made everyone has to contest elections including the top political leaders is vivid in our memory. WE are sure, that Mr.Gill, who has nominated a retired Supreme Court Judge to oversee the election will ensure transparency and will not allow the elections to be held without all the states getting recognition.

The correct move will be to have the elections held in a democratic manner with the erstwhile Units’ participation and then the newly elected Office bearers and the General Body member Units could take a decision on merger of men and women wings. In fact, the HI bigwigs have created wedge in majority of states by flouting dubious bodies, where two different Units have cropped up besides the erstwhile one.

Affiliation are being granted after ensuring that people from old regime and who will not support the candidature of the present regime are eased out by dubious means . Meetings and committees are only on paper with hockey playing and promoting units not being called and kept in the dark.

It is very shocking that the Hockey India present office bearers have their states affiliation already done ie. Narendra Batra from J & K , Mushtaq Ahmed from Bihar , Vidhya Stokes from Himachal Pradesh, Rajiv Mehra from Uttarkhand to these one can add the affiliation granted to state like Arunachal Pradesh , Andhaman & Nichobar , Tripura, Mizoram and Maharashtra with the so called backing of Mr.Suresh Kalmadi.

Maharashtra, Vidarbha and Mumbai do not subscribe to the one state one body formula that is being thrust upon the states which have multiple associations. The FIH has never imposed this rule but seems to have been inspired by IOA which is highly detrimental to the development of hockey discriminatory and iniquitous. This is a malafide move to destabilize/destroy some associations which have been the most active states and rendering yeoman service to the cause of hockey.

Four States in the country have more than one association for hockey.

1) State of Maharashtra: Maharashtra, Vidarbha & Mumbai

2) State of Madhya Pradesh: Madhya Bharat, Bhopal & Madhya Pradesh

3) State of Punjab: Punjab & Patiala

4) State of Andhra Pradesh: Hyderabad & Andhra

The contribution and the remarkable service rendered by these associations for decades are well known. In Maharashtra the Mumbai Hockey Association which is now in its 75th year has a record which cannot be matched by any other body. It has its own infrastructure, stadium, office, artificial surfaces, and flood lights and 1000 members (both men and women). Over a 100 teams take part in a various leagues from clubs, corporate, railways, banks and services and the numerous schools and colleges which are the nursery of Mumbai hockey. Olympians Gurbax Singh Grewal, Balbir Singh Grewal, M.M.Somaya, Merwyn Fernandis, Kulwant Arora, John Mascarenhas, Joe Antic, Kishan Lal, Adrian D’Souza, Gavin Ferreira, Joaquim Carvalho, Dhanraj Pillay, Vikram Pillay, Viren Rasquinha have been some our stalwarts from this part of Mumbai who have contributed to Indian Hockey. To this list don’t forget the contributions in the administrative field of the late Naval Tata, Jimmy Nagarwala, K.L.Passi, Jos Gonsalves who have run the Indian Hockey offices.

Can Mumbai be ignored?

It is a coincidence that the only time the World Cup was hosted in India earlier was by Mumbai Hockey Association at our premises and now the World Cup is hosted by India in New Delhi under a body which is still to be officially formed by representatives of hockey associations barely having any activities.

Mumbai has produced Olympians, World Cuppers, Internationals, Arjuna Awardees, Padmashrees, and Administrators which is another proud achievement. The achievement of the other two associations of the state Vidarbha and Maharashtra also cannot be ignored or just brushed aside. There can be no other reasons except an ill desire to thwart and crush democratic dissent.

Having these associations will be easy for unearthing latent talent apart from creating an interest in hockey. These associations can effectively and efficiently do the job better at the grassroot level as they are confined to a region or limited to a few tracts of territory rather than the vast multi-regional territories in the big states having a huge population.

Secondly the possibilities of biased regional sentiments, scuttling talent search and subverting selection processes by the powers that be in charge in multi-regional regime of “One State- One Association” will be greatly reduced if the Associations are regionalized. Finally the most important factors being the educational and employment incentives that are generally extended by the Government are the mainstay and motivation for sports institutions. Participating in the national championship is the criteria for eligibility for jobs, admission to universities and sports academies. If there are more regional affiliates the number of players becoming eligible for jobs and other incentives will be far greater then the One State – One Association dispensation were the number of eligible will be substantially reduced thereby dwindling the employment and educational opportunities which will invariably affect the development of the game.

There are other national sports bodies like Kabbadi, Khokho, Body Building, which have more than one association in the state even Cricket though outside the control of IOA has regional associations which compete in the national championship and therefore this One State- One Body agenda is totally discriminatory and a great disincentive to hockey players.

We the three bodies of Maharashtra would like to have a say in the policy formation by exercising our right to vote in electing the governing bodies to the national federations. In the One State –One Body formula mooted by IOA states like Arunachal Pradesh , Andaman & Nichobar Island Himachal Pradesh , Kerala , Mizoram, J & K , Uttaranchal which have just been formed by the gathering of a few individuals and/or where hockey is hardly played will have a vote whereas the accomplishments in developing and promoting hockey of hockey playing power houses like Mumbai, Bhopal, Maharashtra , Punjab , Hyderabad , M.P will bear no value. Denying a vote / say in the proposed agenda is clearly inequitous and not in the best interest of hockey.

This formula of One State – One Association is totally detrimental to the interest of hockey and is a figment of imagination of IOA/Hockey India and definitely not the criteria laid down FIH who are definitely not aware of the size of our states nor the populations that exist. Further they must not be aware of hockey playing states producing the maximum number of these players and the infrastructure and the track record they bear.

Why is Hockey India so keen on merging the associations of these four hockey playing states which have a excellent record and accomplished many a milestone in hockey?

What will Hockey India gain by merging associations with a fantastic record of hockey achievements like Bhopal, Mumbai, Hyderabad , Vidarbha, M.P, Patiala and taking away their right to existence and the promotion of game and giving powers to state like Arunachal Pradesh, Andaman & Nichobar , J & K, Kerala, Mizoram, Uttaranchal. Is this the way Hockey India wants to promote hockey our national game?

Institutional membership given to Air India, Railways, Universities and Services without any voting right is absolutely unconstitutional and undemocratic since these associations have been contributing to the promotion and development and success of the national game for decades. They have been also creating job opportunities, incentives for deserving hockey players. Whereas e.g of Football which is in an Olympic Sport under the IOA these institutional teams Railway & Services are allowed to vote in the football elections. BCCI also has its affiliates being granted voting rights. Is this is the way our national game be promoted? Can you compare the contribution of these institutions against that of Arunachal Pradesh, J & K, Mizoram, Assam, Kerala, Andaman & Nichobar, Himachal Pradesh. Do you want administrators from these newly formed non hockey playing and not so advanced states?

It is our humble request to the Government that they should be wary in taking decisions concerning hockey, as considerations other than development of hockey should not be the criteria for running the game.

The representative credentials of the hockey association aims and objectives accomplishments of associations and more important the commitments and ongoing development programmes should be the critical criteria for according affiliation to the Hockey Body.

We have come to the conclusion that in Maharashtra the three hockey associations Mumbai, Vidarbha and Maharashtra which have been in existence right from 1934 enjoy commitment and sharing of hockey knowledge for the promotion and development of game in this region and that it would never be possible to merge all the existing hockey associations. Having men & women bodies merged is a good idea for the betterment of the game and sharing of the infrastructure. The people involved in the whole process of having One State- One Body have definitely an hidden agenda and vested interest not for the promotion of hockey but to ensure that these hockey playing associations are deprived of their right to get involved in the forming of policy.

We request the Sports Minister Mr.M.S.Gill and Mr.Suresh Kalmadi, President of IOA to look into the matter of this One State- One Body agenda which will be detrimental and affect six hockey playing associations compared to newly formed bodies and small associations like Arunachal Pradesh, Andaman & Nichobar, J & K, Kerala, Mizoram, Uttarkhand & Himachal Pradesh which also do not have much of a hockey background.

In the name of the game “Hockey India” is playing for time and do not want to give affiliation to associations which may vote in a democratic set up against some power hungry officials who want to contest the elections and do not want any opposition.
Inspite of writing a number of letters to the Hockey India officials and to the Government we are still to get any reply. Phone calls and having had a meeting in Delhi and Mumbai all we have got is just verbal assurances that things will be sorted out but this is not the case.

We would request the Hon’ble Minister that in spite of having formed some committees to go into the affiliation process have remained only on paper Therefore to ensure that all the existing associations are given a right to be affiliated and the right to vote corrective steps be taken immediately without any prejudice to our fundamental right.

When it comes to one of the important state in the activities of hockey, Tamil Nadu have been in forefront all these years and even hosted a SAF Games, two Champions Trophy events and an Asia Cup besides the Murugappa Hockey Gold Cup. Tamil Nadu is also one of the few states like Mumbai to regularly run their league fixtures throughout the year regularly without break. But, the bigwigs in Hockey India have refused to extent affiliation despite the body have an elected men and women office bearers in its single unit. Now, the matter is in Madras High Court and the State Association is empowered with a “stay order”.

Punjab is another unit which for reasons other than hockey have been also ignored clearly shows the malafide intentions of the Hockey India powers to be. How can one ignore a state like Punjab which recently conducted the Four nation International tournament and their accomplishments on the overall hockey front is awesome.

Is all these, putting down the active erstwhile states, necessary for Hockey India? It shows that the bigwigs making sure of grabbing power as office bearers in the body to be formed are hell bend but we are sure the Government of India will not tolerate such actions any more.

Lastly, we would like to make our stand clear that we will not hesitate to join hands with likeminded Units and seek even legal remedy, if we are forced to do that.

Gurbax Singh Grewal
Vinod Gavai
Benny Boodle
Hon’ Secretaries of Mumbai Hockey Association, Vidharbha Hockey Association and Maharashtra Hockey Association, respectively.