IS politics behind the sacking of Aslam Sher Khan from the post of chairman of the hockey selection committee?

On Thursday, Suresh Kalmadi, chairman of the ad hoc panel running hockey after the the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) was disbanded, announced Ajit Pal Singh would replace Khan as the chairman of the selection committee. The announcement was made at a press conference on the outcome of the ‘future of hockey’ discussions the panel members had with former Olympians. “We will follow a rotation system,” said Kalmadi to justify the change. While Khan had come to be the face of the new dispensation after the KPS Gillled IHF was dissolved in March, rotation of the selection committee chairman’s post is a first in Indian hockey .

Some allege that Guffran-eAzam, president of Bhopal Hockey Association (BHA), is behind Khan’s ouster. Their power struggle for the BHA chair is well known. Despite both belonging to the Congress party, Azam, present during Thursday’s proceedings, has a running duel with Khan over control of hockey in Bhopal

by K. Arumugam, in New Indian Express