Hockey India has to change its name: Government

NEW DELHI: The government on Monday told the International Hockey Federation (FIH) that it has advised the Registrar of Societies of Delhi to withdraw permission to Hockey India (HI) since the body was “de-recognised” and no more authorised to function as a national sports federation (NSF).

Ministry’s response came in the wake of a letter written by FIH president Leandro Negre to sports secretary in which he continued to back Hockey India as the “sole” FIH-recognised body in India.

Sports ministry’s joint secretary Injeti Srinivas wrote to Negre that the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and the Indian Women’s Hockey Association (IWHF) would approach the international body for recognition after their merger.

“Please note that under the Names and Emblem Act 1950, no society can use the name of Union without the approval of the Union government. Since HI stands de-recognised and is no more authorised to function as the NSF for hockey in India, it has to change its name and revise its memorandum of association to fit its private charter,” Srinivas wrote on Monday.

The letter said that both IHF and IWHF were asked to amalgamate into a single society in accordance with the provision of the Society Registration Act 1860. “This is a legal process that takes a minimum 8 to 12 weeks. Once they complete this, they become compliant with the requirement of FIH.”

The official also wrote that the ministry fully “appreciates and respects” the statute of the FIH and that there was no question of the government “compelling” FIH to act in violation of their statute. But FIH must understand that “the formation of an NSF for any sport lies within the domain of the country concerned, and the international federation should not get directly involved in that process”.

The letter requested the FIH to allow the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) or the Sports Authority of India (SAI) to field Indian teams in international competitions since “HI has lost its national character and therefore cannot be allowed to select or field the national team anymore.”

FIH in a letter, dated August 7, had asked the ministry to co-operate and support FIH’s decision while maintaining that Hockey India “is the sole and only body that has been recognised by FIH as also compliant with FIH statutes”.

“Please note that the women’s World Cup is round the corner and we have requested Hockey India to send the team so that India is represented. We trust the above clarifies the position of FIH. We are bound by our statutes and we cannot be compelled to act in violation of our statutes,” Negre wrote in his letter.