The Indian Olympic Association has managed to retain the hockey World Cup by forming Hockey India and heeding to International Hockey Federation’s (FIH) latest diktat on May 5 that demanded a single body in place to administer the sport in the country within 15 days. The joint administrative body was registered on May 20 and officially announced on Wednesday. With this, both the IHF and the IWHF stand disaffiliated.

“The IOA has granted provisional affiliation to the organisation which will govern and administer hockey in India for both men and women while ensuring unified unit for all the states. It was necessary for us to form a unified body after the FIH letter, which clearly stated that otherwise India would not be allowed to participate in any world level events,” IOA president Suresh Kalmadi said, adding that “elections to Hockey India would be held within six months under the supervision of an independent FIH observer”.

Dissent already

But while the IOA sounds confident of having a smooth passage, Bengal Hockey Association —-one of the 28 state associations — have already sent a legal representation to sports minister MS Gill protesting against the procedure adopted while forming Hockey India.

“We consider Hockey India as illegal and will be meeting all state associations, both men and women, in New Delhi on June 10. How can the IOA form a body without any representation from the stakeholders,” BHA president JB Roy told The Indian Express. “Let them tell us to form a unified body, which is the state associations’ prerogative anyway, and then ask us to get registered,” he added.

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