Observer losing sleep over Hockey India elections

NEW DELHI: Clearly unhappy with the way things are moving ahead as far as the Hockey India elections are concerned, the election observer for the polls said on Tuesday that he was receiving way too many complaints about the affiliation process.

“I am not satisfied. I am getting a lot of complaints about the affiliation process. There are also complaints regarding associations not getting affiliation despite being affiliated by their respective state Olympic associations,” observer SK Mendiratta told TOI on Tuesday.

Mendiratta’s views followed fears by the sports ministry on Tuesday that appointment of an Indian Olympic Association (IOA) official, GS Mander – who’s also the president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) – as returning officer for the February 7 polls could act as an impediment for a free, fair and transparent elections.

The ministry, in a letter to the HI president and others associated with the election process, reiterated its advice for appointment of “preferably a retired high court Judge/district judge as returning officer.”

The ministry drew the attention of HI to its January 18 letter where it had said that “the returning officer should in no way be connected with Hockey India or IOA”.

Mendiratta, meanwhile said, that though the HI informed him about the state units given affiliation by it, he was not aware as to who were the president and secretary of these associations.

He also said that no outsider can be authorised to represent the state units in the February 7 elections. “We fear that it could lead to proxy voting,” he said.