Roy calls parallel meeting after differences with Gill

June 10th, 2009

New Delhi, June 10 (IANS) Bengal Hockey Association (BHA) president J.B. Roy Wednesday took serious exception to the ousted Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) president K.P.S Gill calling its former secretary general K.Jothikumaran to a meeting here Saturday, and decided to call a parallel metting in Aamby Valley on the same day.

Jothikuamran, who resigned as the IHF secretary general following a sting operation where he was caught on the camera accepting cash for selection of players in the Indian team, was invited by Gill to attend a meeting of state associations to take stock of the situation arising out of the Indian Olympic Association forming a nominated

Hockey’s world governing body FIH has given Hockey India six months to hold free and fair elections.

Dissolved Indian Women’s Hockey Association (IWHF) secretary Amrit Bose is also a part of the Amby Valley meeting.

“In an unforeseen development, we learnt that K. Jothikumaran was also invited to attend the said meeting by IHF. We had taken a strong exception to the presence of Jothikumaran in view of his controversial background and had requested categorically to K.P.S. Gill, not to include him,” Roy and Bose said in a statement.

“However, till late this (Wednesday) afternoon, there has been no positive response from his side. Hence abiding by clean and transparent principles, the meeting has been called at Aamby Valley beginning June 13.”

Roy and Bose have now convened a meeting at Aamby Valley beginning June 13.

“The various state level men’s hockey associations and the women’s hockey associations, have only one common objective in mind that there should be a democratically elected unified apex body and the same should be constituted in a clean, transparent and democratic manner.”

The meeting will discuss issues threadbare and shall chart a future course of action based on the democratic participation of all stakeholders to ensure that Indian hockey can regain its past glory, the statement said.

Courtesy: Agencies