Special Correspondent

MUMBAI: Mumbai Hockey Association, along with Maharashtra Hockey Association and Vidarbha Hockey Association, objected to Hockey India’s formula of one State-one body with respect to the coming national hockey elections.

“We request the Sports Minister M.S. Gill and IOA President Suresh Kalmadi to look into the matter. This is a malafide move to destabilise/destroy associations which have been the most active,” said G.S. Grewal (Mumbai Hockey Association secretary), Benny Boodle (Maharashtra HA secretary) and Vinod Gavai (VHA secretary), during a media briefing at MHA.

Four States with multiple associations — Maharashtra (Mumbai, Vidarbha and Maharashtra), Punjab (Punjab, Patiala), Andhra Pradesh (Hyderabad, Andhra) and Madhya Pradesh (Madhya Bharat, Bhopal, MP) — will be affected.

Tamil Nadu has been refused affiliation despite the body having elected men/women office-bearers in its single unit, said the joint statement. “HI ignored TN which has been in the forefront of hockey promotion all these years. Punjab is another unit for reasons other than hockey has also been ignored.”

Olympians Joaquim Carvalho and Mervyn Fernandes also questioned HI’s logic in offering institutional membership sans voting rights. “The offer of institutional membership given to Air India, Railways, Universities and Services without voting right is absolutely unconstitutional and undemocratic since these associations have been contributing to hockey’s promotion and development for decades. They have been also creating job opportunities, incentives for deserving players,” they said. “The All India Football Federation (AIFF), affiliated to IOA, allows institutional teams voting rights, so why the denial in hockey?”

“We would like to make our stand clear that we will not hesitate to join hands with like-minded units and seek even legal remedy, if necessary,” said the joint statement issued by MHA, Maharashtra and Vidarbha.