IHF miffed at govt proposal ’tilting towards HI’, seeks time

NEW DELHI: Uncertainty still remained over the proposed merger of Hockey India and Indian Hockey Federation with a miffed IHF on Tuesday claiming that the government’s power-sharing formula was “tilted towards HI”.

Expressing disappointment at some of the provisions in the merger proposal, IHF sought another week’s time to spell out their position regarding the sports ministry’s efforts to work out an amicable solution to the long-standing feud between the two bodies over recognition and power-sharing.

The sports ministry had on Saturday served the two federations a two-day ultimatum to either merge into a unified national body or face stern action.

IHF told the ministry on Tuesday that they need more time to discuss the proposal in detail before giving a reply.

“We have sent our reply to the ministry. We have asked for a week’s time because we can’t take any decision in haste as IHF is a democratically elected body. We need to consult all our members before coming to any conclusion,” IHF secretary Ashok Mathur said.

“It is a great effort on the part of the ministry but after going through the proposal we have found that it is not at all balanced. The proposal is not in the interest of IHF. It is tilted towards HI,” he said.

In its proposal, the ministry has asked HI to increase its executive board strength and include all the current IHF office bearers in it.

The ministry has also asked HI to make former IHF president KPS Gill as the life-time patron of the merged body and also appoint an IHF office-bearer as a senior vice-president.

HI, however, has replied to the ministry proposal, according to its secretary general Narinder Batra.

“We have sent our reply but we would like to keep it among ourselves. The ministry’s idea of co-option is a good move,” he said, refusing to divulge the details.

According to sources, HI has no objection in the ministry proposal to accommodate IHF office bearers in its expanded executive board. It has also agreed to the ministry’s proposal to make Gill as the lifetime patron and to appoint an IHF office-bearer as a senior vice-president in the merged body.

HI has, however, raised objection to the multi-million dollar World Series Hockey league being flaunted jointly by IHF and Nimbus Sports. It has also refused to take any financial liability of the IHF post-merger.