New Delhi, Sep 29 (IANS) The International Hockey Federation (FIH) Thursday told the sports ministry that India can take part in all FIH-sanctioned events if the government recognises Hockey India (HI) as the sole authority to run the game in the country. It also asked the ministry not to proceed with the power sharing formula between HI and the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF).
In a letter to Sindhusree Khullar, secretary sports, FIH president Leandro Negre said: ‘The government of India will advise HI and IHF not to proceed with the implementation of the broad arrangement. Instead, the government will recognise HI as the national sports federation with complete and exclusive authority to govern the sports in the country.’
Negre, however, said that the FIH has no problems with government’s 10-point principle and wanted the proposal to be discussed both by the ministry and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
Negre in his letter to Khullar also said that the ‘government of India will not fund or otherwise support any hockey event which is not sanctioned by the FIH or HI.’
Sports ministry’s joint secretary Rahul Bhatnagar told IANS that the IOA, HI and the government will meet soon to formulate a plan agreeable to the FIH.
‘We will be meeting soon to work out a formula that is agreeable to FIH. Till now the IOA was not willing to come on board and discuss the issue, but now they have been forced to do so,’ said Bhatnagar.
Bhatnagar also said that the sports ministry will try to bring an end to all law suits over the control of hockey in India as demanded by the FIH.
Asked if India can still host the Olympic qualifiers next year, Bhatnagar said: ‘The seven issues raised by FIH in the letter were the points we discussed when the president and the chief executive came down to meet Sports Minister Ajay Maken this month. If we can settle these issues, India can surely host the Olympic qualifiers.’
The FIH was opposed to the power-sharing formula between HI and IHF, brokered by sports ministry, and shifted the Champions Trophy out of India.
