IHF and HI Merger Hits Road Block

Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) Chief Advisor KPS Gill slams the Govt. and Hockey India (HI) officials of plotting a conspiracy to wipe off IHF. The former Hockey chief out rightly rejected the merger provisions saying IHF cannot merge with HI who has corrupted officials within the Organization.

“IHF will accept the merger proposal if it is reasonable. In our reply to the government we have said that we want IHF to be reconstituted and HI should be merged into IHF,” Gill told reporters at a press conference.

Gill, however, said he was open to the formation of a unified body, but HI should merge with IHF and keep “corrupt” people out of the new federation. But Sports Minister Ajay Maken have also made it known on Monday that there is no question of the keeping the federations name as IHF as the Games international governing body recognized HI. And with India hosting Champions trophy and Olympic qualifier, changing name will be a great problem.

“In our reply we have also said that the 2-3 units which have left IHF abruptly and joined HI should come back to IHF,” he said in the presence of IHF secretary Ashok Mathur and former Indian Women’s Hockey Federation secretary Amrit Bose.

He also went on to say that IHF will not entertain any changes made by HI in the running of the game after its suspension by the IOA in 2008. “We don’t accept any steps taken after the suspension of IHF,” he said.

He also said that the merger proposal is tilted towards HI and his federation will agree to a unified body on its own terms.

“The proposal of the ministry has 10 points from the document which (HI secretary) Narinder Batra had presented before (IHF president) RK Shetty during a meeting. The ministry’s proposal is more or less similar to Batra’s documents, which we have already rejected,” Gill said.

He also spoke about the alleged involvement of HI and FIH in financial irregularities during the conduct of last year World Cup. “Till now the accounts of the World Cup remain undisclosed which is suspicious. According to MoU of the World Cup, it was decided that from the profits a hockey development fund will be created and spent in the country under FIH’s supervision. But till now no such fund has been created,” Gill claimed.

“All these facts have been brought to the notice of the government time and again but no action was taken,” he said.

“HI was formed by seven persons for their vested interests. How can we merge with people of these natures? We don’t want any corrupt people or conspirators in the unified body.”

“People who put their heads together to keep IHF out of hockey cannot be accepted as a part of IHF. Our stand is that those who have real interest in hockey should come together,” the former top cop said.