FIH’s cautious response

Hockey Correspondent

Chennai: By welcoming the efforts to form a unified apparatus to serve the cause of hockey, the International Hockey Federation has taken a cautious stand in not going the whole hog of according recognition to the creation of Hockey India.

A careful reading of Secretary Peter Cohen’s statement will confirm that FIH expects a lot more to fall in place.

A professional lawyer from Melbourne, Mr. Peter Cohen, cannot be frivolous like a few are in the IOA created unit, threatening disciplinary action etc. A head of a democratically elected state unit has every right to call for a meeting and discuss the issues involved in the sport.
Growing dissent

While a trace of desperation is transparent to get the backing as many state units as possible, the IOA sponsored Hockey India has to reckon with growing dissent. Important is the fact that FIH is closely monitoring the developments, even having its own channels to listen to the other points of view.

As one who played a prominent part in helping IHF to draw up the statutes for the Indian Hockey Confederation, a mandatory constitutional provision, Mr. Peter Cohen, is well aware of the complexities of integrating all state units in a huge country like India.

That the IHC remained only functional and not acquired the status of a constitutional body is another case. The IOA, which makes so much of its stake now, gave little thought to this because it scooped out six votes — three from each federation.

Even as the debate rages over the pros and cons of the means employed to create a new unit, efforts are afoot to assemble as many state units as possible in Delhi on June 13.

This is aimed not merely as a show of strength but serve as a forum of opposition to the creation of a unit without a debate or discussion with member units. It is computed that the combined strength of men and women units is above 80, and a majority is expected to attend this meeting.

What gives this assembly an extraordinary significance is the coming together of K.P.S. Gill, who is fighting a legal battle with IOA over the suspension of the IHF he headed, and the president aspirant J.B. Roy, President of Bengal Hockey Association. Affiliated units who are with the two influential members will be sizable indeed, adding to the women’s segment that is responding to the call of Ms. Amrit Bose, Secretary, IWHF, who has raised a banner of revolt against the IOA constituted Hockey India.

Current indications are that the Messrs. K.P.S. Gill and J.B. Roy might not appear jointly for a press briefing on Monday as originally programmed, but issue jointly a statement outlining the need of a combined endeavour against IOA taking over the hockey affairs with its chosen men and women without a properly held and supervised election. Also, the legal options are being examined thoroughly. But they may be the last resort.