Indian court intervenes to avoid ban

The teams had faced the prospect of missing the October 3-14 Games over a deadlock on who ran the sport in the country

NEW DEHLI: India’s Supreme Court intervened to ensure the national men’s and women’s field hockey teams took part in their own Commonwealth Games.

The teams had faced the prospect of missing the October 3 to 14 Games over a deadlock on who ran the sport in the country. While the International Hockey Federation (FIH) has recognised Hockey India (HI) as the parent body, the sports ministry wanted the revived Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) to take charge again.

A two-judge bench of the Supreme Court directed the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and HI to select the two teams for the Games, pending a fuller verdict.

“We direct as an interim measure that the IOA and HI will field the Indian team for men and women hockey in the Games,” the Press Trust of India quoted the ruling as saying.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 28^th, 2010.