Hockey India elections: Pargat on bench, hopeful of a solution!

With a month to go to elect new body for Hockey India, former skipper of the Indian hockey team Pargat Singh, is still clueless about the affiliation to the Punjab unit.
Pargat who is secretary of the state body that was merged couple of months ago, is wondering why the state unit that is recognized by the Punjab State Olympic Association (PAO), hasn’t been given affiliation.

In fact, he is peeved at the functioning of the “Hockey India”, that is all set to conduct the World Cup early next year in the Capital.

Speaking to this site, Pargat said some officials at the helm of affairs are playing dirty game that has delayed affiliation to the Hockey Punjab. “I am surprised at the not so prompt attitude of the people who are looking after the affairs of hockey in the country,” he said on Monday.

But he is hopeful of a solution by Tuesday as there is a meeting in the Capital, to discuss the issue of affiliation to the state units, and smooth conduct of the Hockey India elections.

Hockey India were to conduct its election in November last, but failed to do so as state units where hockey is very popular including Punjab were not recognized by the national body. Thus elections were put off. Now it will be held in the last week of January.

Surprisingly, Union Sports Minister MS Gill had then intervened saying that all the state units should be given fair chance and those eligible should be given affiliation.
But despite that Hockey India top brass, has denied affiliation to Punjab, along with few other states.

Hockey in the state was earlier managed by the top police officials, but saw a rapid change when Pargat took over and reorganized the whole constitution, freeing it from the clutches of the Police department. Now, after the merger Pargat is functioning as its secretary while state deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal is the president.

If Pargat, is to be believed, Punjab still has huge followers of the game and as many as 20 teams are regular in the junior state competition, with at least nine players in the national squad.

“The state has produced several international players in the past and the tradition is still on. But foul play at the national level will hamper progress of the game in the state. We should support hockey to strengthen its foundation in the country,” he suggested
India’s dismay performance in 2008, denied the national men’s squad a ticket to Beijing games, which was a national shame.

“We shouldn’t repeat our 2008 mistake again,” he said.