Ministry sets Tuesday deadline for HI-IHF merger

Trotted out in front of the media at Shastri Bhawan, the three parties involved in Indian Hockey smiled and exchanged pleasantries and a group handshake. However the apparent bonhomie between RK Shetty, the Indian Hockey Federation chief, Hockey India secretary general Narendra Batra and Sports Minister Ajay Maken couldnt hide the fact that the much anticipated merger between the HI and the IHF— a personal inititiative of Maken, did not happen.

Maken had called the meeting, looking to get the warring factions to agree to merge in to a sole body. But instead, the federations have been given time to respond to the power-sharing formula, which apart from the merger, deals with a range of issues, including powersharing.

Speaking after the hour-long meeting, Maken said that he was still very hopeful that the two parties would sign on the dotted line. “We’ve given time till Tuesday to respond to the proposal in writing. We have also told them that instead of two replies, we will greatly appreciate if they can send only one. We are hopeful that the two bodies will come together, now that we have given them equal importance to both the bodies,” Maken said. However betraying a sign of impatience, Maken said “if they don’t agree we will take action and also inform the Supreme Court as the matter is sub-judice .”

The proposal seeks to expand the original 17-member executive committee of HI to 33 to include the 16-members from IHF, comprising of one senior vice president, six vice presidents, four joint secretaries and fice executive members. KPS Gill is to be made Life Patron of the merged body, but without voting rights. Also the HI’s three-member working committee will be expanded to five.

However the body will remain Hockey India in name as HI is recognised by the IOA (International Olympic Association )and the IHF (International Hockey Federation). This arrangement will continue till 2014, when the fresh HI elections are scheduled.

But even as the ministry was looking forward to the merger, the respective federations are tightlipped over the deliberations. “This is a proposal from the ministry and we are yet to read it completely. At this stage, I would like to refrain from commenting on the proposal,” HI secretary general Batra told The Sunday Express.

IHF president Shetty too was circumspect. “Once we are clear about the specifics, we will draft a point-by-point reply to the entire proposal and submit it to the ministry. But I am happy that there is something being done to form a unified body and I welcome this move.”