Prabhjot Singh, Tribune News Service

Chandigarh

Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal is a man to watch in hockey. He is not only the new chief of the unified Hockey Punjab – all men and women hockey bodies of the state have been amalgamated to form this new body – but may also be a strong contender to head Hockey India, elections to which are due later this year. The International Hockey Federation wants India to have a unified Hockey body in the country by end of this year so that the 2010 World Cup Hockey Tournament for men could be held in New Delhi without a hitch.

Only those nations that have a democratically elected body to run affairs of the game can hold an FIH event. The FIH was not happy with the ad hoc body managing the game in the country after the Indian Hockey Association had taken over the Indian Hockey Federation last year. The Tribune was the first newspaper to report Sukhbir Singh Badal taking over reins of Punjab Hockey in May 2008. The delay was on account of litigations and also time taken by the Indian Olympic Association in forming Hockey India after the merger of the Indian Hockey Federation and the All-India Women’s Hockey Association. Hockey India became a reality only a couple of months ago.

All four-hockey associations of Punjab met today under the chairmanship of the Punjab Olympic Association chief Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and endorsed the decision to merge and form a unified Hockey Punjab. The existing bodies, before accepting their dissolution, also unanimously resolved to elect Sukhbir Singh Badal as the first chief of the new body.

Raja K. S. Sidhu, Secretary General, Punjab Olympic Association called four representatives of each association authorized by their general council to attend the meeting. Represented by their Presidents and Honorary Secretaries, all the four associations attended the meeting. Since it has been an unwritten convention in Punjab that the police chief of the State heads the Punjab Hockey Association, DGP PS Gill, attended the meeting.

Nirmal Amarjit Kaur, President, Rajinder Singh, Secretary, represented the Punjab Women’s Hockey Association. Manmohan Singh, a cardiologist and son of former Secretary of the Indian Hockey Federation, Gursewak Singh, attended the meeting as President of the PEPSU

Hockey Union. Daljit Singh, Secretary of the Union, joined him. Anupam Vashisht, President and P. P. Singh, Secretary represented the PEPSU Women Hockey Association.

To facilitate further smooth merger of the associations, the POA President S. S. Dhindsa authorized Secretary-General Raja K. S. Sidhu to coordinate framing of the new constitution of Hockey Punjab by asking the Secretaries of all the four earlier Associations to submit their respective constitutions and proposals for incorporating in the new constitution.

In consultation with them, the Punjab Olympic Association would help in drafting a mutually acceptable constitution and by laws that would further be got approved by the new of Hockey Punjab, Sukhbir Singh Badal. The next meeting of Hockey Punjab would be held within a fortnight.