The days of factions, infighting and alleged administrative malpractices appear to be returning in Indian hockey.
While Hockey India grapples with the resignation of girls’s chief coach Janneke Schopman and its long-serving CEO Elena Norman inside days of one another, questions have now been raised on alleged monetary irregularities and election course of, specifically involving secretary normal Bhola Nath Singh, treasurer Sekar Manoharan and government director Cdr. RK Srivastava.
Former Delhi Hockey secretary Mahesh Dayal, in a collection of communiques to each the sports activities ministry and Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey, has additionally questioned the validity of the present dispensation and the election course of in 2022, claiming violation of the National Sports Code and in search of parity with different federations which were declared responsible of the identical.
“As elections have been stalled in other federations like gymnastics, volleyball, kabaddi etc but no action is being taken against Hockey India where elections were held after the (Delhi HC) judgement dated 16-08-2022…and still GoI MoYAS recognised these elections. Why?” Dayal has questioned.
The factors raised by Dayal pertain to Bhola Nath contesting regardless of having accomplished his tenure with Hockey Jharkhand and being in his third time period at Hockey India (after two phrases as vice-president) with out a cooling-off interval.
He has additionally talked about the presence of an age and tenure restrict just for the president, secretary and treasurer and never being relevant on the district stage, the absence of an arbitration committee and an ombudsman amongst others as examples of non-compliance with the Sports Code.
Bhola Nath, nevertheless, rubbished all allegations. “I came into Hockey Jharkhand for the first time in 2014, which makes this my third term and within the provisions of the code. Also, the first term as Hockey India VP was not a full term but only 18 months and so my election is not in violation of the rules,” Bhola Nath mentioned, including disgruntled components have been elevating non-issues.
Questions have additionally been raised on HI’s income-tax evaluation and its funds by way of sponsorship cash and funds allegedly made to FIH.
Interestingly, Norman had additionally named the three officers as being extra considering energy and liable for making her place untenable in HI whereas Schopman had indicated the identical whereas claiming ‘disrespect’. There can also be a case on in Delhi HC over forensic audit of HI accounts.
