HC stays Hockey India’s affiliation to TN unit

CHENNAI: In yet another blow to the Hockey India election, the Madras High Court on Tuesday stayed the affiliation granted by the governing body to hockey unit of Tamil Nadu on January 11.

Tamil Nadu Hockey Association(TNHA) and Hockey Tamil Nadu (HTN) had jointly sought an interim stay of the operation of minutes of Hockey India’s January 11 meeting pertaining to affiliation for the state unit (HUTN).

Justice K Venkataraman granted the interim injunction on the writ petition, seeking to quash records of Indian Olympic Association (IOA), Hockey India (HI) and Tamil Nadu Olympic Association (TNOA) which culminated in the minutes of the meeting and consequently direct HI and TNOA to grant affiliation to HTN.

According to the petition, TNHA has been affiliated to TNOA since its registration in 1988 and is the only affiliated hockey body in the state as of date.

The IOA, the petition contended, had written to all state units, informing them of setting up of HI as per directions of International Hockey Federation (FIH). In keeping with the direction of the national body, TNHA and the state women’s unit merged to form HTN and registered as successor-in-interest.

HTN automatically qualified for affiliation to HI, the petition claimed, adding that HI and TNOA in an “unfair and improper manner” recommended Hockey Unit of Tamil Nadu (HUTN) for affiliation instead of HTN.

The entire decision process ‘is unfair, improper and illegal and liable to be set aside, the petition contended.