Vidarbha Can take part in national hockey tournaments

By Paritosh Pramanik

VIDARBHA Hockey Association (VHA) has come out victors as far as participation in national tournaments is concerned. The three-year long fight with Hockey India (HI) for its survival at the top level is over with the Joint Executive Committee for Hockey in India and Sports Ministry accepting the demand to keep the affiliation of the six-decades-old body.
In a major development, Hockey India and Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) have decided to work together without forming a unified body.

Talking to ‘The Hitavada’ over phone from Delhi, IHF secretary Ashok Mathur said, “VHA, which is affiliated with IHF, along with Mumbai, Maharashtra, Bhopal and Hyderabad, will remain part of the “Joint Executive Committee for Hockey in India.”

Mathur said VHA would be able to take part in national and other invitational tournaments organised under the banner of HI or IHF.

“Be it Vidarbha, Mumbai, Maharashtra, Patiala, Bhopal or any other association…they all would be allowed to take part in the nationals (senior, junior, boys or girls),” informed Mathur.
Mathur said IHF was clear in their stand of having VHA, Mumbai, Maharashtra, Bhopal, Hyderabad as their affiliated members.

The issue of affiliation to these five units was discussed during the meeting ten days back and Sports Ministry secretary Injeti Srinivas had accepted the demand of IHF.

‘The Hitavada’ was the first to report about VHA getting affiliation with the joint body.
After IHF was disbanded and Hockey India took over the reigns of the game in 2008 VHA as well as the other associations’ existence was in danger as HI adhered to one-state-one-unit policy.

Last month Sports Ministry had proposed a merger plan to the two warring bodies. The Ministry had asked for their views on it and had also warned them of stern action if they failed to budge.
IHF was stern in its stand of including Vidarbha, Mumbai, which is 100 years old association, Maharashtra, Bhopal and Hyderabad, as affiliated units in the national federation.

During a meeting held on June 21, IHF had supported VHA to be part of the Indian Federation and were firm on their stand whenever the two warring factions met with the government.
“We have clearly stated that associations like Vidarbha, Mumbai, Bhopal, Hyderabad and Maharashtra are more than 50-60 years old. We can’t suddenly wipe them out. They would be part of the merged body,” Mathur said.

An elated VHA secretary Vinod Gawai said he was happy that their fight for survival and recognition bore fruits. “All we wanted is participation in national tournaments. We always fought for our players. We were firm in our fight and that is the reason IHF supported us,” said Gawai.
“The players would not lose out on playing in nationals, at least till 2012,” he added.