A temporary relief, at last, for the hockey fans of India. The two administrative bodies, the Hockey India (HI), which is affiliated to the International Hockey Federation, and the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF), have decided to work jointly on four important areas- organizing national championships, preparation of the national teams, selection of national teams and participation in international events. To achieve this purpose, an Executive Committee of thirty nine members and a Working Committee of eight members will be constituted. Four representatives from each federation will be nominated for the Working Committee which will be headed by a Chairman and a Co-Chairman. The composition of the Executive Committee would be 20:19 in favour of HI. HI is given the responsibility to communicate with the International Hockey Federation as it is recognized by them. This is indeed a great relief, not only for the fans but also for the players. The Sports Ministry should be credited for making this temporary, yet effective agreement.
The Hockey India was formed on 20th May 2009 after Indian Olympic Association (IOA) disbanded the erstwhile IHF. It was the end of 15- year long tenure of Mr. K.P.S. Gill as the Chief of Indian hockey. However, a decision by the Delhi High Court revived IHF. The Court said, “The decision dated 12th May 2008 passed by the Ministry temporarily withdrawing the recognition of the IHF and the subsequent order dated 10th/11th August 2009 passed by the Ministry derecognizing the IHF are also hereby quashed.” It created a peculiar situation in Indian hockey where there are two governing bodies, one is affiliated by the world body and the other is not.
What is the impact of this chaotic situation on hockey in India? IHF, with the support of Nimbus, will launch World Series Hockey (WSH) which is expected to be held by the end of 2011 across 10 cities over a period of 10 weeks. The HI asked its players to stay away from this League. It would be extremely difficult for the players, specially for those who have already signed to play for WSH, to make a decision whether to join the League or not. It can be expected that this temporary solution may solve many issues like this.
The administrators of Indian hockey should take necessary actions to merge these two associations for the overall development of hockey in this country. The successful implementation of the Hockey World Cup in 2010 attracts a number of prestigious tournaments to India. The 33rd FIH Mens Champions Trophy is scheduled to be held in December 2011 and Men’s Qualifying Tournaments for XXIX Olympic Games will be held in February 2012. Both the tournaments will take place in New Delhi. We may hope that the administrators of Indian hockey join hands to make these events successful so as to regain the popularity of hockey in India.
