Govt looks to merge HI, IHF

NEW DELHI: In a bid to end the impasse over hockey administration in the country, the government has come up with a set of proposals, including expanding Hockey India’s (HI) executive board to facilitate the merger of Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) with HI.

The sports ministry, after a meeting with representatives from both sides on Saturday, gave them time till Tuesday to deliberate on the proposals and come back with replies. Failing which, it said, it would initiate action on its own.

In the meeting, which was part of the ministry’s initiative to bring the rival federations together, it suggested several measures for consideration by both groups. “We have given a balanced proposal to HI and IHF with equal importance to both and we have told them to give a joint response,” sports minister Ajay Maken said after the meeting. “If they don’t agree we will take action and also inform the Supreme Court as the matter is sub-judice,” he said.

The proposals given to the federations include increasing the strength of the HI executive board from 17 to 33 “in order to provide for co-option of 16 members of IHF comprising one senior vice-president, six vice-presidents, four joint secretaries and five executive members. Co-opted members from IHF will exercise the same powers as elected members as per their designations.”

The proposal said that the expanded executive board shall continue till the expiry of the current tenure in October 2014. It also said that the existing three-member working committee of HI, which manages day-to-day affairs, shall be expanded to five in order to accommodate additional two members from co-opted IHF members.

Another significant proposal was to install former IHF president KPS Gill as life patron in an honorary capacity without voting rights.

According to the proposal, on the expiry of the tenure of the current HI management, the size of the executive board would again revert to the original strength of 17. “As soon as the expanded executive board comes into effect, it shall takes steps for holding elections for the post of president, which at present is vacant and operating by way of an interim arrangement.”

It also proposed that post settlement, HI would assume the status of the sole national sports federation for hockey in India and maintain affiliation with the Indian Olympic Association as well as the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

In order to resolve disputes prevailing in some of the state associations, the ministry has proposed to constitute a joint committee comprising two elected and two co-opted members of HI executive board.

Sources revealed that the proposals were discussed threadbare with both the federations. “Everybody seemed quite positive about the proposals. Let’s see what happens next,” sources said.