Delhi HC quashes Centre’s decision to de-recognise IHF

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court revived the ‘banned’ KPS Gill-led Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) on Friday, saying that the “cloud of suspension” over IHF ought to be lifted for a proper enquiry into problems in Indian hockey.

The federation had been banned by the Indian Olympic Association and then derecognised by the sports ministry following a sting operation that allegedly showed the IHF secretary K Jothikumaran accepting bribe to select a player in the national team.

“The past should be put behind and a new beginning made,” Justice S Muralidhar noted while granting the relief on a petition filed by former top cop Gill that has now paved the way for his re-instatement as the head of the sports body. HC brushed aside the objections by the IOA and ministry that revoking the ban when the Commonwealth Games is round the corner, will create confusion in Indian hockey.

In a 43-page verdict, HC viewed the suspension as a “knee jerk reaction” and hoped the sports ministry will focus on how best sports, including hockey can be best served. “It is not too late for the ministry of sports to get its act together and set things in order with the co-operation of both IHF and IOA and any other body that may have been set up. Instead of again panicking about the revival of the IHF, it requires to be seen how interests of hockey in India can be best served,” the court noted.

The court reminded the sports ministry that its job was to be a regulator and further observed, “Sports bodies have to have a degree of autonomy with the government playing the role of an effective regulator. They must be allowed to function in a democratic manner with persons really interested in the game participating in its affairs… the knee jerk reaction to losses at international events, which are inevitable in competitive events, and looking for persons to blame, can’t be conducive to a healthy development of any national sport.”

IOA had dissolved the IHF in April 2008 and Hockey India was formed as the interim governing body for the national game. The court rejected the submissions by the government that the Commonwealth Games 2010 was only a few months away and if at this stage the IHF was revived, it would result in a chaotic situation since Hockey India had already been formed as a unified body for men’s and women’s hockey in India.

“Whenever this court considered passing an interim order, it was informed by the respondents (IOA and government) that some major international event is round the corner and therefore, this court should refrain from passing orders till such time the event was not concluded. This was the reason why this petition was not taken up for final hearing till such time the men’s hockey World Cup 2010 was not concluded,” the court said while slapping a cost of Rs.10,000 each on IOA and the government.

“It would be unfair to the petitioner (IHF), which has succeeded in showing that both the orders of disaffiliation and consequent de-recognition are wholly illegal, to be denied relief for over two years on the ground that such order might jeopardize India’s participation in a sporting event. Unfortunately, for over two years now the petitioner IHF has continued to remain under an illegal suspension, followed by an illegal disaffiliation and an illegal de-recognition,” the court observed while asking all the parties to see how the interests of hockey in India can be best served.