HI, IHF merger on the cards

Government steps up efforts to get both bodies together, Maken says merger important for Olympic qualification, Hints at getting tough with both parties if merger fails, Also clears the deck for hiring a foreign coach, Says Govt ready to pay as much as needed to get the right person

M.S. Unnikrishnan

Sports Minister Ajay Maken said here today that he was working towards a plan for the merger of Hockey India (HI) and the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) for the larger good of Indian hockey. He said he had called a meeting of the HI and IHF office-bearers on Saturday (June 11) to thrash out some vexed points and pave the way for the merger.

Maken said he had gone to former IHF president KPS Gill’s residence in Delhi last month to mediate for the merger. Representatives of HI and IHF were also present but nothing came out of that meeting. “But I am now hopeful that both the bodies will agree on a merger. We are very keen about it as there should be only one hockey federation.

“We have something in mind if they don’t agree. The Government will then take a firm step,” the minister warned. He said the formula suggested by him was that there should be equal representation from both bodies in the new body.

“Yes, we have got an invitation for the meeting. We will attend it with a positive frame of mind,” said HI secretary-general Narendra Batra.

Maken said there was also no problem in the appointment of a foreign coach as money was not an issue. He said the Government had cleared 28 foreign coaches out of which 17 had assumed charged. “We have raised the monthly salary of a foreign coach from $5000 to $7000 and are willing to give more for a suitable hockey coach, if Hockey India comes up with one. Money is not a problem for a good coach as we will pay as much as required,” assured Maken.

But the problem was that HI was rooting for the formalisation of Harendra Singh’s appointment as National coach and it wanted a foreign coach only as a consultant. The Government had funded the team’s participation in the Azlan Shah Tournament in Malaysia where defending champions India had finished sixth under Harendra Singh.

“Qualifying for the Olympics is very important for me and we will do everything possible to help the hockey team,” Maken informed. He said the Government had appointed a steering committee which will finalise the foreign coach’s name, suggested by the seven-member Development Committee of Hockey India, headed by Pargat Singh.

Interacting with the media here this afternoon, Maken said the Mukul Mudgal Committee report on the Draft Sports Development Bill was ready and will be submitted to the Government on Sunday. The proposed National Sports Legislation would be based on the recommendations of this committee.

But whatever be the recommendations, Maken said he would insist on a few points:

That the autonomy of the National Sports Federations should not be tampered with, while insisting on transparency, accountability and good governance;

That we will take the Sports Legislation forward whatever be the opposition of the NSFs and the Indian Olympic Association;

Appointment of an ombudsman for settling disputes;

Bringing the Sports Authority of India (SAI) also under the ambit of the legislation to make it accountable, outside the purview of the policy and administrative decisions that govern it.

Maken said the Government was going ahead with a properly structured coaching programme for the 2012 London Olympics teams, codenamed ‘Project Opex 2012’. A budget of around Rs 260 crores has been earmarked for the project. He said the daily nutrition and diet allowance of the Olympic probables has been hiked to Rs 650 per day.

Maken said he would appoint a three-member committee, consisting of a representative from the IOA, a renowned sportsperson and the Sports Ministry, to visit the Olympic coaching camps and submit a weekly report directly to the minister to find quick solutions for any lapse in the conduct of the camps, including boarding and lodging, proper diet, equipment etc.

“We would ensure that the best of facilities are provided to the Olympic probables,” Maken assured.

Gill first mooted merger

Former president of the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF), KPS Gill, said here today that he was the first to moot the suggestion of a unified hockey body following Justice Muralidhar Reddy’s order, asking the Government to recognise the Indian Hockey Federation.

Reacting to Sports Minister Ajay Maken’s proposal to hold a meeting of the representatives of Hockey India and IHF on Saturday to thrash out the formalities of a merger, the former Supercop said he could not comment “unless I see the proposal”.

But Gill pointed out that when he was the IHF president, he had written to the Government to take steps for the merger of the two hockey bodies, as suggested by Justice Reddy. “But nothing happened then,” he told The Tribune.

Gill said the president and secretary of IHF would be attending the meeting called by Maken.