SC allows Hockey India to send team
new Delhi, Aug. 17: As confusion continued as which of the two battling bodies — Hockey India or the Indian Hockey Federation — is the country’s true representative for the game in the international arena, the Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed the women’s hockey team to participate in the World Cup in Argentina from August 29 under the HI banner for the time being.
A Bench of Justices R.V. Raveendran and H.L. Gokhale in an interim order allowed HI to chose the Indian women’s team for Argentina after the sports ministry failed to place before the court an affidavit sought by it earlier in the day.
Considering the pressing need to send off the team to Argentina by August 21, the apex court allowed HI to lead it purely as “temporary” arrangement making it clear that the interim order was “not indented to accept the contention of HI”.
As the bench took up the HI plea at 2 pm, it gave the sports ministry time till 3.30 pm to place its affidavit stating that it would be able to get recognition from the International Hockey Federation (FIH), to the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF), which is now supported by the government.
But the government counsel on resumption of the hearing merely stated that the ministry was “in communication” with the FIH but had not yet got its response.
HI, which claims to have FIH recognition, went to the apex court challenging the sports ministry’s decision derecognising it even after the holding of the elections recently as per the requirement of the world body.
Hockey India counsel Ashok Desai said that since the FIH recognised his client as the governing body for hockey in India, it was immaterial whether the government recognised it or not.
But the only problem before Hockey India was that for the purpose of visa and other travel documents, the government agencies’ help was required.
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