India stripped of hosting hockey events
Hockey’s governing body places four-year ban.
KARACHI:
India were handed a four-year ban from hosting international hockey tournaments including the Champions Trophy it was due to host in December.
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) placed the sanction after the sport’s governing body did not approve of the merger between the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and Hockey India (HI), two bodies running the sport in India.
The two Indian bodies announced their merger on Monday, boosting chances of the World Hockey Series (WHS) getting an official status, but the FIH, expressing reservations on the transfer of governance, has placed the ban.
According to a statement released by the FIH, the merger ‘does not comply with the FIH Statutes, which do not permit a member to transfer or share its powers to another body that is not a member of or bound by the FIH Statutes, still less to share its powers with a body [IHF] that is involved in organising an unsanctioned event [WHS], participation in which is prohibited by the FIH .’
The FIH has asked the Indian sports minister, the heads of Indian Olympic Association and the HI to hold a meeting while also deciding to strip the country of hosting rights for the next four years.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 28th, 2011.
India were handed a four-year ban from hosting international hockey tournaments including the Champions Trophy it was due to host in December.
The International Hockey Federation (FIH) placed the sanction after the sport’s governing body did not approve of the merger between the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and Hockey India (HI), two bodies running the sport in India.
The two Indian bodies announced their merger on Monday, boosting chances of the World Hockey Series (WHS) getting an official status, but the FIH, expressing reservations on the transfer of governance, has placed the ban.
According to a statement released by the FIH, the merger ‘does not comply with the FIH Statutes, which do not permit a member to transfer or share its powers to another body that is not a member of or bound by the FIH Statutes, still less to share its powers with a body [IHF] that is involved in organising an unsanctioned event [WHS], participation in which is prohibited by the FIH .’
The FIH has asked the Indian sports minister, the heads of Indian Olympic Association and the HI to hold a meeting while also deciding to strip the country of hosting rights for the next four years.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 28th, 2011.