Twist in the tale of Tamil Nadu hockey

Like almost all the State Hockey Associations in the country, Tamil Nadu hockey is also being in a state of limbo in the last two years, reflecting the confused national scenario.

There have been factions, there have been cases, with equal number of stays granted by various courts, which almost become impossible to track and report.

At last now something solid has come.

Last week, on Dec 3, Chennai High Court has lifted a stay on the functioning of the Radhakrishnan-Renukalakshmi faction as the administrative unit of the Tamil Nadu hockey. The same court, on the eve of the Hockey India election, allowed the same ‘RR’ faction to represent Tamil Nadu.

In fact, The Tamil Nadu Olympic Association once formed a new committee bringing in a representative from each warrying faction as a measure to solve the tamil nadu hockey mess. Radhakrishann then heading Tamil Nadu Hockey Association (prime mover here is former IHF Secretary K Jothikumarn), Renuka Lakshmi (then joint secretary of the Indian Women Hockey Federation, also Secretary of the TN HA) were president and Secretary while Kadar Moinudeen was taken in as Treasurer. Kadar was taken in as the representative of Celladurai Abdullah faction that has challenged TNHA.

However, TNHA got a stay order from the courts against the Committee of which Radhakrishnan, Renuka Lakshmi and Kadar are president, Secretary and treasure from representing TN hockey. However, the triumvirate were successful in getting go ahead from the courts for the HI election at the eleventh hour.

Now the Dec 3 judgment allowed them to function and carry out TN hockey activities. Emboldened, they have, on a press conference held on Sunday, announced holding of Inter-district tournament for both men and women.

The Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu, the registered name of the organization that have now got the powers to run the TN hockey affairs, held a meeting, which was inter alia boycotted by the powerful Chennai Hockey Association, has won this round handsomely, and we are not sure what the other faction will do now.

Now, the Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu (HUTN) has activated itself with the announcement of the nationals by the HI.

The Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu will conduct the senior inter-district championship for men and womenin the first week of January to select state team for the Nationals. “The men’s event will be held at Tiruchy while Kanyakumari host the women’s,” M. Renuka Lakshmi, the secertary of the Hockey Unit of Tamilnadu, told a press conference on Sunday.

She said the decision to conduct the inter-district events was taken at an emergency meeting on Sunday. “Representatives from 21 districts attended the meeting today. Seven more districts had conveyed their support. The Madras High Court has cleared the decks for the functioning of Hockey Unit after it dismissed the petition of former IHF Secretary K. Jothikumaran on December 3. The court order will help us revive hockey in Tamilnadu,” she added.

Radha Krishnan, who is the president of the Hockey Unit of Tamilnadu, hoped that the CHA would come around to join hands with the recognised state body.