Last Updated: February 28, 2024, 15:22 IST
In a joint assertion, Dilip Tirkey says HI has all the time handled all groups and gamers equally. (PTI Photo)
Elena Norman, who resigned as HI CEO, urged that Dilip Tirkey and Bhola Nath Singh are at loggerheads and in addition complained of a troublesome work surroundings.
Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey and secretary basic Bhola Nath Singh on Wednesday denied outgoing CEO Elena Norman’s assertion of a rift between them, saying that they’re “united” and dealing in the most effective curiosity of the game.
Norman resigned on Tuesday and in an interview to PTI she alleged that there was factionalism within the physique. The 49-12 months-outdated Australian urged that Tirkey and Singh had been at loggerheads and in addition complained of a troublesome work surroundings.
Also Read: ‘Tough to Deliver in the Fight Between Two Factions’
In a joint assertion, Tirkey and Singh rejected Norman’s claims.
“Recently there have been statements by outgoing officials published in the media, claiming that there are divisions within the organisation. This is not correct. We remain united in working together, and as always in the best interest of the sport,” the 2 mentioned.
“Hockey India is an autonomous and professional body dedicated to the development of Indian hockey. Our primary objective as an organisation has been and continues to remain the welfare and progress of the sport of hockey and our athletes.”
Norman’s resignation was the second blow to HI in the previous couple of days after the Indian ladies’s hockey staff coach Janneke Schopman resigned, additionally complaining of a troublesome work surroundings. Schopman had accused HI of giving step-motherly therapy to ladies’s hockey.
Tirkey and Singh mentioned HI has all the time handled all groups and gamers equally and in addition claimed to have constructed an surroundings of equality within the organisation.
“We have built our ethos around equity and equal opportunities right from the grassroots levels across states as well as on a national level,” their assertion learn.
“In this spirit, our entire focus remains on growing our talent, ensuring all hosted events are conducted with utmost professionalism and our national teams are receiving the best support to support their performance at the global stage.”
Norman started her tenure because the federation’s first CEO again in 2011 with Narinder Batra as the pinnacle. After resigning, she said that it was troublesome for her to proceed given the bickering inside HI.
“There are two factions in Hockey India. There is (President) Dilip Tirkey and I and there is (Secretary) Bholanath Singh, (Executive Director) Cdr. R K Srivastava and (Treasurer) Sekar J Manoharan,” she mentioned.
“There are guys who want power and then there is (HI President) Dilip (Tirkey) who is a nice guy, only after betterment of Indian hockey,” she defined.
Tirkey and Singh mentioned their focus is now on rebuilding the ladies’s staff, which did not qualify for the Olympics, and serving to the lads’s aspect that is because of compete within the quadrennial showpiece in Paris this 12 months.
“We will continue in this pursuit of excellence and rebuild the women’s team with a fresh approach to providing the right infrastructure and training to enhance their performance,” they said.
“In addition to this, we are cognisant of this being an Olympic year and are dedicated to aide the National Men’s Team with the required support to stand on the podium yet again in the forthcoming Olympic Games in Paris this year.”
(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is revealed from a syndicated information company feed – PTI)
