The Hindu : Sport / Hockey : IOA flouted rules on disaffiliation

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IOA flouted rules on disaffiliation

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) flouted its own constitution while disaffiliating the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and the Indian Women’s Hockey Federation (IWHF).

Even as the IOA received an encouraging response from the International Hockey Federation (FIH) about the formation of Hockey India, an IOA official pointed out that show cause notices should have been issued to the IHF and the IWHF before disaffiliating these two federations.

“No such notice was issued,” the official, who preferred anonymity, said on Saturday. A spokesperson of the IWHF also confirmed that no notice was received or discussed and no reply given.

The IOA, in a release circulated during the June 3 press conference, claimed that a show cause notice was indeed issued. It did not say to whom it was issued nor did it say whether either of the federation had responded to the show cause notice. Disaffiliation could only be contemplated on three grounds, according to the IOA constitution: 1) Non-observance of directives issued by the IOA; 2) Not holding elections after the completion of the normal tenure; 3) Not submitting annual audited statement of accounts, annual report and list of current office-bearers within the stipulated time period.

Though the IOA President, Suresh Kalmadi, claimed the other day that a nine-member committee appointed by the IOA General Assembly was empowered to take any action in solving the issue of a unified hockey body and given all powers that existed with the general body, it is a moot point whether such a panel could decide on a disaffiliation when the rules specify that only the General Assembly had such powers.

The General Assembly, in fact, is required to pass such a disaffiliation with a two-thirds majority of the members sitting and voting.

In case of disaffiliation or suspension, the IOA President can form an ad hoc body to run the affairs of that sport till such time he arranges for elections to be held in “the concerned National sports federation/association.”

Meanwhile, the Union Sports Ministry has responded favourably to the IOA decision to form Hockey India in an effort to meet the conditions put forward by the FIH for the successful conduct of the 2010 World Cup and India’s participation in international events.

“It is a logical step,” said a Ministry spokesman. He added that the IOA had set in motion a democratic process by which it would be able to fill the vacuum created by the suspension (now disaffiliation) of the IHF.

The need to have a unified body was well recognized by all authorities concerned and the IOA had to step in because of the exceptional circumstances to set in motion the process of its formation. The spokesman, however, stated that the ministry was at this point of time not saying anything about the rules under which the new body had been formed and it would study the details in due course.

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