India's field hockey teams on Tuesday faced the prospect of missing their own Commonwealth Games over a deadlock on who ran the sport in the country.
While the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has recognised Hockey India as the parent body, the sports ministry wants the revived Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) to take charge again.
The ministry's decision follows a court order last month that restored the IHF, two years after it was dissolved by the country's Olympic chiefs over bribery allegations and poor on-field results.
The Indian Olympic Association had sacked the IHF, led by decorated police official Kanwar Pal Singh Gill, in April 2008 and appointed a new body, Hockey India, to run the sport in the country.
But the Delhi High Court, ruling on a petition filed by Gill, set aside the government-backed dissolution order, saying a "new beginning" was required to revive hockey in India.
The government wrote to the world body last week to end its association with Hockey India and instead recognise the IHF, but FIH president Leandro Negre was not impressed.
"At the outset we reiterate that we have already recognised Hockey India as a recognised body for the management, control and promotion for hockey in India," Negre wrote to the ministry.
"In the circumstances and in the best interest of hockey in India, we would like to inform you that Hockey India is the only body that has been recognised by FIH."
Negre also said that only a team selected by Hockey India would be eligible to take part in the women's World Cup to be held in Argentina later this month.
The ministry shot off a letter to the FIH, urging it not to deal with Hockey India since it had no right to run the sport in the country.
"Hockey India has lost its national character and therefore cannot be allowed to select or field the national team anymore," ministry official Injeti Srinivas wrote to the FIH.
"Granting the status of a national sports federation is within the domain of the country concerned and the FIH should not get directly involved."
Unless the deadlock was broken soon, India could be banned from both the women's World Cup and the Commonwealth Games to be held in New Delhi from October 3-14.
Article 24(2) of the Games charter says that only those athletes or national federations that are not disqualified or suspended by the respective world body are eligible to compete.
"I hope the players do not suffer because of this mess," a hockey official said. "The need of the hour is a united body, but I don't know how that will happen."
India, once the masters of field hockey with eight Olympic titles, failed to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics and finished eighth in the World Cup in New Delhi in March this year.
The FIH last month awarded the 2011 Champions Trophy to India following the success of the World Cup.
Showing posts with label Hockey India. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hockey India. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Friday, August 6, 2010
IHF is the official body, Govt tells FIH
A day after it de-recognised Hockey India, the Sports Ministry dealt it another blow by seeking permission from the international hockey federation (FIH) to allow Indian Olympic Association (IOA) or Sports Authority of India (SAI) to select and send teams for international tournaments. The Ministry told the FIH that it has recognised IHF as the sole national federation for India and requested it not to assign any international tournament or have any commercial dealings with HI under the impression that it was the National Sports Federation for hockey in India.
In November 2008, the FIH had transferred the membership of Indian Hockey Confederation, a joint body of men's and women's bodies in India, IHF and IWHF, to Hockey India after IOA suspended and disaffiliated IHF in April 2008.
Hockey India was eventually set up in May 2009. But IHF was revived in May this year after the Delhi High Court termed its suspension illegal as IOA had not followed its own rules in suspending it.
In a letter to the FIH on Friday, the ministry said the IHF president has confirmed that the process of unification of the men and women hockey bodies will be completed soon. "Once this process is completed and IHF becomes fully compliant with the constitution of the FIH, they will approach FIH for recognition /Affiliation / Membership," the Ministry said, clarifying that it would closely monitor the process of merger.
"In the meanwhile, it is requested that the IOA or Sports Authority of India (SAI) may be permitted to field the Indian team for various FIH-recognised competition," the letter said.
The FIH refused to comment on the letter or de-recognition of HI.
"The FIH is not in the position of making any comments at this stage," said FIH communications manager Arjen Meijer.
The FIH office in Lausanne said president Leandro Negre was travelling in Germany and was not available for comment while acting director general Roger Webb was in a meeting.
The confusion over the national federation for hockey in India will persist for some more days. As per FIH bye-laws, recognition by the National Olympic Committee, the IOA in this case, and not government is necessary for membership.
The FIH can always ignore the government de-recognition and continue its association with HI. However, that would mean that neither it not HI will get government support for selection and sending teams for international competitions after the Commonwealth Games.
The Ministry has decided to ensure the players are not victimised in this power struggle till the end of the Games. Without the government support, HI can't even run camps or tournaments or send teams abroad as government funds all these activities.
In November 2008, the FIH had transferred the membership of Indian Hockey Confederation, a joint body of men's and women's bodies in India, IHF and IWHF, to Hockey India after IOA suspended and disaffiliated IHF in April 2008.
Hockey India was eventually set up in May 2009. But IHF was revived in May this year after the Delhi High Court termed its suspension illegal as IOA had not followed its own rules in suspending it.
In a letter to the FIH on Friday, the ministry said the IHF president has confirmed that the process of unification of the men and women hockey bodies will be completed soon. "Once this process is completed and IHF becomes fully compliant with the constitution of the FIH, they will approach FIH for recognition /Affiliation / Membership," the Ministry said, clarifying that it would closely monitor the process of merger.
"In the meanwhile, it is requested that the IOA or Sports Authority of India (SAI) may be permitted to field the Indian team for various FIH-recognised competition," the letter said.
The FIH refused to comment on the letter or de-recognition of HI.
"The FIH is not in the position of making any comments at this stage," said FIH communications manager Arjen Meijer.
The FIH office in Lausanne said president Leandro Negre was travelling in Germany and was not available for comment while acting director general Roger Webb was in a meeting.
The confusion over the national federation for hockey in India will persist for some more days. As per FIH bye-laws, recognition by the National Olympic Committee, the IOA in this case, and not government is necessary for membership.
The FIH can always ignore the government de-recognition and continue its association with HI. However, that would mean that neither it not HI will get government support for selection and sending teams for international competitions after the Commonwealth Games.
The Ministry has decided to ensure the players are not victimised in this power struggle till the end of the Games. Without the government support, HI can't even run camps or tournaments or send teams abroad as government funds all these activities.
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