CWG CEO clueless over status of official national federation

CWG Federation CEO is equally clueless on the official status of hockey India or Indian hockey federation to select the national team for the delhi games

Nothing should surprise anyone in Indian hockey anymore. Not even the possibility of India, the hosts of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, not being able to field a men's and women's hockey team at the October 3-14 New Delhi event.

CWG Federation CEO Michael Hooper told MiD DAY that the CWG Federation remains unsure on as to which body ufffd Hockey India or the Indian Hockey Federation ufffd should be recognised in the run-up to the CWG.

A couple of days after the International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced that it had asked Hockey India to field a team for the upcoming women's World Cup in Argentina later this month, the ministry said in a letter to the FIH that HI no longer represents the country and so cannot select or field the national team henceforth.

Instead, the ministry informed FIH, that the erstwhile KPS Gill-led Indian Hockey Federation should be accepted and recognised as the national body to run the game.

The stalemate continues and as a result of which the CWGF remains as confused as the billion-plus Indians, who do not know who is running their national game.

Hooper revealed yesterday that he is yet to receive a reply from FIH boss Leandro Negre on the status of the situation. "I've sent him (Negre) an email asking him to let us (CWGF) know as soon as possible which body we should recognise and I'm awaiting his response. Till then I cannot say whether India will or will not be able to field a team and which federation will select that team for the CWG," Hooper told MiD DAY at the CWG OC office yesterday.

Meanwhile, the women's team is currently undergoing a training camp at the National Institute of Sport complex in Patiala in preparation for the upcoming World Cup, while the men's team will be beginning their camp at the Balewadi Sports Complex in Pune next week.

A source from Hockey India revealed that it is they who are running and who will continue to run the game in the country. "Mr Negre has already clearly stated in a letter to the ministry that the FIH has recognised HI as the body to run the game in India, so where's the question of any doubt."

But, the sports ministry stands firm too. An official associated with the ministry and who did not wish to be named, said: "FIH has no business in interfering in our country's internal matters. IHF will run hockey in India."
Now, only if a penalty shoot-out could decide the outcome of this one.