Is IOA exceeding its brief?

2 Jun 2009

BANGALORE: Leandro Negre wanted Hockey India, a unified body of the men’s and women’s federations, to be constituted in half a jiffy. The Indian O
lympic Association (IOA) has apparently obliged the International Hockey Federation (FIH) president, snazzing up a conglomeration that comprises amongst others the former chief of the boxing federation and the current secretary of the basketball
federation. Missing as a majority are hockey officials.

In a move that has raised the hackles of the hockey community, the IOA has reportedly approached the registrar of societies in New Delhi, seeking to register Hockey India with AK Mattoo as the president, Vidya Stokes as the senior vice president, Aslam Khan (secretary), Narinder Batra (treasurer) and Rajeev Mehta, Harish Sharma and Mushtaq Mohammad as its members. Except Batra, who was the bete noire of former Indian Hockey Federation president KPS Gill during his tumultuous regime, others would be wielding the baton with definite unease.

Batra denied having any knowledge about this but Matoo said: “I don’t want to confirm or deny. Just wait for two days.” However, sources confirmed to TOI that IOA had indeed approached the registrar of societies on May 20.

The decision has upset the state units. “The IOA has clearly exceeded its brief. Who gave IOA the powers to constitute Hockey India? They were at best facilitators to a new regime. Their ad-hoc body had the powers to administer the game for a short while. Now how did they assume central roles in running the game in the country?” asked Karnataka State Hockey Association secretary K Krishnamurthy, while pointing to a similar attempt a few months ago.

“Now it has been proved beyond doubt that the IOA office-bearers are power-hungry. Last year, in a meeting with the state units, IOA president Suresh Kalmadi said the IOA wouldn’t govern the game a minute longer than it is required. He should have paved way for the elections.”

Krishnamurthy said the IOA ought to have respected the Delhi High Court’s views – during the hearing in the Gill case – that it was high time steps were taken to conduct the IHF elections.