With no reply received for its first letter, FIH asks Hockey India CoA to give definite timeline for new constitution ahead of 2023 World Cup | Hockey News – Times of India
NEW DELHI: In a strongly worded ‘second’ letter to the three-member Committee of Administrators (CoA) running the affairs of Hockey India (HI) after the federation was suspended by the High Court, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has said that they want things to move “expeditiously” and said that any further failure in doing so will “seriously increase our concerns” related to India hosting the upcoming Men’s Hockey World Cup in Odisha.
HI was put under a CoA by the Delhi High Court in May this year after finding the federations constitution and some of the appointments to be in violation of the National Sports Code.
The court acted on a petition filed by former India player Aslam Sher Khan, who had challenged the then Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Narinder Batra‘s appointment as life member of HI and Elena Norman as CEO.
The CoA is led by former Supreme Court judge AR Dave, with former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi and former India captain Zafar Iqbal as the other two members.
Since that development, Batra has quit from the three posts he held simultaneously — IOA president, International Olympic Committee member and FIH president.
After Batra’s resignation, the FIH executive board has moved swiftly, asking for timelines for fresh HI elections before the World Cup in January next year, to be hosted by two cities in Odisha — Bhubaneswar and Rourkela.
However, the first FIH letter to the CoA citing their concerns went unanswered, which forced the world hockey body to escalate the matter.
“We refer to our latest correspondence from 17 July 2022, which appears to have remained unanswered from your part,” said FIH in its second letter to the CoA, accessed by TimesofIndia.com.
The FIH, said its CEO Thierry Weil in the letter, and the Asian Hockey Federation “would be happy to cooperate with the CoA” in order to “amend the Constitution (of HI) in line with the rules laid-down by the Government of India” so that the HI elections “can be held in accordance with the new Constitution”.
That Constitution, however, will require the approval of FIH as well to ensure conformity with its statutes and regulations.
The FIH is particularly concerned about Hockey India putting its house in order well in time to host the World Cup, scheduled to run from Jan 13 to 29 next year.
Reiterating the fact that the CoA did not reply to FIH’s initial letter on this matter, the world body came down heavily, saying “should Hockey India’s Constitution-drafting and elections be delayed any further, this will seriously increase our concerns”.
It thus questioned “Hockey India’s ability to host the upcoming FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup” and asked the CoA to provide a “detailed timeline” of bringing the HI house back in order.
“In order to ensure that the 2023 FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup can still be played in India as planned, we kindly ask you to provide us with a detailed timeline for the preparation and adoption of the Constitution as well as the holding of the elections to the Executive Board of Hockey India,” the FIH CEO further said in the letter.
To examine and discuss that, a delegation of FIH and AHF officials will visit India in the near future. The aim of that visit as per the letter sent by the FIH will be – “to discuss the above-mentioned matters – and first and foremost, the staging of the 2023 FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup – directly with the Indian government, the CoA and any other relevant local authorities if required, with an aim to assessing any progress made on these matters.”
HI was put under a CoA by the Delhi High Court in May this year after finding the federations constitution and some of the appointments to be in violation of the National Sports Code.
The court acted on a petition filed by former India player Aslam Sher Khan, who had challenged the then Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Narinder Batra‘s appointment as life member of HI and Elena Norman as CEO.
The CoA is led by former Supreme Court judge AR Dave, with former Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi and former India captain Zafar Iqbal as the other two members.
Since that development, Batra has quit from the three posts he held simultaneously — IOA president, International Olympic Committee member and FIH president.
After Batra’s resignation, the FIH executive board has moved swiftly, asking for timelines for fresh HI elections before the World Cup in January next year, to be hosted by two cities in Odisha — Bhubaneswar and Rourkela.
However, the first FIH letter to the CoA citing their concerns went unanswered, which forced the world hockey body to escalate the matter.
“We refer to our latest correspondence from 17 July 2022, which appears to have remained unanswered from your part,” said FIH in its second letter to the CoA, accessed by TimesofIndia.com.
The FIH, said its CEO Thierry Weil in the letter, and the Asian Hockey Federation “would be happy to cooperate with the CoA” in order to “amend the Constitution (of HI) in line with the rules laid-down by the Government of India” so that the HI elections “can be held in accordance with the new Constitution”.
That Constitution, however, will require the approval of FIH as well to ensure conformity with its statutes and regulations.
The FIH is particularly concerned about Hockey India putting its house in order well in time to host the World Cup, scheduled to run from Jan 13 to 29 next year.
Reiterating the fact that the CoA did not reply to FIH’s initial letter on this matter, the world body came down heavily, saying “should Hockey India’s Constitution-drafting and elections be delayed any further, this will seriously increase our concerns”.
It thus questioned “Hockey India’s ability to host the upcoming FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup” and asked the CoA to provide a “detailed timeline” of bringing the HI house back in order.
“In order to ensure that the 2023 FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup can still be played in India as planned, we kindly ask you to provide us with a detailed timeline for the preparation and adoption of the Constitution as well as the holding of the elections to the Executive Board of Hockey India,” the FIH CEO further said in the letter.
To examine and discuss that, a delegation of FIH and AHF officials will visit India in the near future. The aim of that visit as per the letter sent by the FIH will be – “to discuss the above-mentioned matters – and first and foremost, the staging of the 2023 FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup – directly with the Indian government, the CoA and any other relevant local authorities if required, with an aim to assessing any progress made on these matters.”
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