After rap, sports ministry tells Hockey India to put elections on hold

The sports ministry on Tuesday asked Hockey India not to proceed with its elections, scheduled to be held in mid-June, until legal opinion was sought about the same. Last Friday, a Delhi High Court verdict restored administrative authority to the KPS Gill-led Indian Hockey Federation, slamming the sports ministry and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) for arbitrary suspension of the IHF and establishing Hockey India in 2008.

The ministry instructions have put Hockey India in a spot who, after initial bravado dismissed the verdict and insisted their right to govern hockey in the country, now have to rethink their future plans. “In the light of the High Court judgment in the matter of Indian Hockey Federation vs UOI & others, you are advised not to take further action with regard to holding of elections till the entire matter is examined in consultation with Ministry of Law,” the ministry letter, addressed to HI secretary Narinder Batra, states.

So far, in the absence of any official reaction from either the ministry or the IOA, Batra had been claiming that the IHF was a defunct body and HI, recognised by the international hockey federation (FIH), was the sole governing authority for hockey in India. “We are an autonomous body and recognised by the FIH. The high court order does not affect us and HI will continue working as usual,” Batra had said.

However, legal experts have already termed Hockey India as an illegal entity after the judgement. “What Batra seems to be forgetting is that the FIH recognition is subjective to recognition from the national Olympic committee; in this case, the IOA. Once the court verdict has termed the suspension of IHF illegal and restored it as the duly recognised body by the IOA, the very existence of HI is untenable,” advocate Rahul Mehra, at the forefront of trying to bring accountability to federations, said.

Also, while Batra had been claiming that elections to HI will be held in mid-June in the presence of a government observer and a retired judge as the returning officer, it is interesting to note that the sports ministry has already stated in court that they do not recognise the current set-up of HI.

“I have three separate affidavits by the sports ministry to the court, which clearly states that they do not recognise HI as the authority to run the sport. As on date, Batra can only claim recognition from FIH, which is again subject to recognition from the IOA. As a private entity, they can do anything; as a national sports federation, legally, Hockey India is an illegal body and any action by it would be termed illegal,” Mehra said.

A sports ministry official said: “We have written to Hockey India to ensure there is no violation of the court order. If they still continue to go ahead, we will not be a party to any action that will clearly be a contempt of court,” the official said.

FIH muddle

In fact, Hockey India’s position has become even more unenviable after an FIH letter which clearly states that elections have to be held on or before July 5. The letter, circulated just hours before the official communiqué from the ministry, states that, “… provided that elections are held on or before 5 July, 2010; thereafter Hockey India is and remains the sole governing body for hockey in India.”

Ministry officials claimed ignorance of the same and said that, “the FIH cannot unilaterally take a decision on this issue in contravention of court judgement. For one, their recognition is based on ours and IOA’s recognition; and secondly, they are not a party to the verdict but Hockey India is directly affected and can be hauled up,” officials said.