‘Deeply hurt’ A.K. Mattoo resigns from all posts

NEW DELHI: A.K. Mattoo has resigned as the President of Hockey India (HI), deeply hurt by the allegations made against him by the hockey players.

Mattoo has also resigned from all administrative posts in sports including from his positions as the Treasurer of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the Organising Committee of the Commonwealth Games (OCCG).

He handed over his resignation to the President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and Chairman of the OCCG, Suresh Kalmadi, on Friday.

Mattoo, a man known for his uprightness in Indian sports for more than three decades, was upset by the allegations made by the players and the media in the recent happenings involving a set of agitating India probables at the National camp in Pune, according to sources.

Little option

Faced with little option following hefty demands made by the players, Mattoo had indicated in Pune that HI was prepared to wind up the camp and start afresh with “available players.”

Kalmadi, however, intervened on Thursday to bring about a compromise by which the players agreed to the disbursement of Rs one crore that was given by sponsor Sahara on an emergency basis. (The payments had since been made, sources said.)

The players’ demands, sources told The Hindu on Saturday, included Rs 500 as daily allowance while in the camp, $100 as daily allowance while on tour, Rs 15,000 per match and a graded system of annual payments for different categories of players.

Offer rejected

According to the gradation system proposed by the players, ‘A’ category players were to get Rs 12 lakh, ‘B’ category Rs 10 lakh and ‘C’ category Rs 8 lakh.

The players also demanded an insurance cover of Rs five lakh per player.

Unable to meet the demands with the available funds in the HI, Mattoo offered the players Rs 25,000 each but this was rejected by the players in their discussions in Pune after they had initially agreed to the HI proposals during talks in Delhi.

Sources pointed out that every penny that had come into the HI coffers since its formation last May had been accounted for and Mattoo was pained that an impression had been created by several people including the players and the media that he was holding back the payments even when the federation had the finances.

Completing formalities

Notices for the elections to HI having been sent out last Wednesday, Mattoo is likely to stay on for a few more days in the HI post in order to complete some more formalities.

Sources, however, indicated that he was unlikely to take back his resignations even though Kalmadi had requested him to do so on Friday itself.