Sports Ministry opens window of opportunity for Gill-led IHF & IWHF

BANGALORE: In a significant change in stance, the Union sports ministry is now planning to give the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and the national women’s body (IWHF) an opportunity to substantiate their claims as organisations with the mandate and wherewithal to govern the game in the country.

Stung by the recent Delhi high court verdict reviving the IHF and the observation that proper procedure was not followed in the disaffiliation and de-recognition of the federation two years ago, the ministry admitted it was led by the actions of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), which invoked its own extraordinary powers to set up a national body, and the International Hockey Federation (FIH) did not make an independent inquiry into the matter. “Now, the clock has been put back by two years. We need to take the right steps,” ministry sources told TOI.

The development comes as a huge shot in the arm for the KPS Gill-led IHF as well as the Indian Women’s Hockey Federation (IWHF) ahead of their meetings in the coming days. The IHF has called for a meeting of its affiliates on June 6 while IWHF is planning a similar exercise a few days later.

Hockey India too has scheduled a special general body meeting on June 14, with some of the lead players in the state associations likely to figure prominently in all these meetings.

Without elaborating on what the course of action would be, sources said the ministry was consulting the Union law ministry on the issue as well as seeking its opinion on the court verdict. “But the fact remains that the IHF and the IWHF were not given an opportunity to be heard. We will give them the chance now. Discussions will start with both these bodies. Let them clarify their positions, their plans for the future and how they would meet the norms of a combined body and satisfy the International Hockey Federation (FIH).”

When asked whether the priorities have shifted to the IHF, the sources said: “There are no preferences. We will go step by step, work on every possibility so that we can meet the expectations of the world body.”

This appears to be an attempt by the ministry to follow the court’s observation that it should set things in order with the cooperation of the IHF and IOA and “any other body that may have been set up”.

“Instead of again panicking about the revival of the IHF, it requires to be seen how the interests of hockey in India can be best served,” the court had said. In fact, the ministry has already told the FIH that the situation in the country was too fluid for order to be restored immediately. Obviously, this would persuade the FIH to go slow on its demand for elections to the national body. So what is the future of Hockey India? “It was an experiment by IOA. Unfortunately, in spite of its existence for over a year, it was not successful in paving the way for elections to the national body. Hence, Hockey India cannot be given the special status,” the sources said.