Hockey and its too many cooks

SPORT IN TURMOIL: Three general houses of Indian hockey to meet between June 6 and 14

Prabhjot Singh

Tribune News Service

Starting this Sunday (June 6), three independent bodies – one each of men, women and combined – each claiming itself to be the parent body of the sport in the country will hold their general house meetings in the union capital during next 10 days. Two of these bodies besides reiterating their claims to be the genuine representative national association controlling the game of hockey may also announce their respective calendar of events, including holding of national seniors, juniors and sub-juniors championships.

The third body, Hockey India, has proposed a series of amendments/changes in its constitution before the general elections are held. One of these bodies headed by KPS Gill and backed by a strong Delhi High Court verdict in its favour will meet on June 6. Interestingly, only those units of men’s’ hockey affiliated to the Indian Hockey Confederation before it was taken over by the Indian Olympic Association in 2008 have been called for the June 6 meeting.

In the June 12 meeting, the Indian Women’s’ Hockey Association, has likewise called its pre-2008 units for the meeting. While the hockey muddle is getting complicated day by day, two senior functionaries of the International Hockey Federation, including its president, Leandre Negro, reportedly visited India. The visit was a low profile event and he reportedly held meetings with the both Hockey India as well as the Union Ministry of Sports.

Now when India is due to play in the Women’s World Cup in Argentina and also to host the Commonwealth Games Hockey events in October, the foremost question both before the Ministry of Sports and the International Hockey Federation will be which of the three bodies to recognise. Sources reveal that in the records of the International Hockey Federation, neither the Indian Hockey Federation nor the All-India Womens’ Hockey Association figure anywhere. The only body recognised from India by the FIH after 2001 was the Indian Hockey Confederation. It may be pertinent to mention here that in 2001, there was a formal merger of the mens’ and womens’ hockey bodies at the national level.

It was only in 2008 that the FIH formally recognised Hockey India and wanted a democratically elected body in place in time for the 2010 World Cup. Litigations and other problems, however, made the FIH to extend the deadline to May 31. Again this deadline could not be followed.

There are some units and hockey officials, who incidentally are active both in Hockey India as well as their revived old national bodies – Indian Hockey Federation and the All-India Womens’ Hockey Association. Merger of men and women bodies may be a secondary issue but how the country will come out of this multi-bodies syndrome controlling our erstwhile national sport hockey looks intriguing. Otherwise the sport that has already suffered irreparable damage, will continue on its downslide.