KPS Gill says next move after studying judgment

M.S. Unnikrishnan

Tribune News Service

Super cop KPS Gill, who had refused to step down as the president of the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) when the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) took over the reins of hockey, insisting that he was the duly elected chief of the apex hockey body, was a relieved man today, though his reaction to the Delhi High Court order was guarded. Gill told The Tribune that “for the time being, our first priority would be to hold the National Championship in June in Mumbai”. He said the IHF would study the judgment in detail, considering all aspects of the case, and then act upon it. “The court order has vindicated our stand that the IOA and the Government had errred in suspending the IHF”, Gill said.

Reaction from the IOA was mixed, though none was willing to be quoted. A source pointed out that IOA secretary-general Randhir Singh had quit the ad hoc panel of Hockey India, protesting against the manner in which the IHF was suspended, and a committee was instead formed to run the affairs of the game by the IOA. “Randhir Singh’s decision to quit the Hockey India ad hoc panel has been vidicated by the court order”, the source pointed out.

The IOA, at the behest of the Government, had suspended the IHF headed by KPS Gill when pressure was brought upon them by the International Hockey Federation (FIH), which felt that the Indian Hockey Confederation (after merging the men’s and women’s bodies) were not serving the cause of Indian hockey properly. Despite repeated attempts, Hockey India president Vidya Stokes did not answer her mobile phone.