New Delhi, July 20: The drama surrounding the Hockey India elections continued on the day, with the national body snubbing the government’s age limitation guidelines for the July 28 elections.
HI interim president Vidya Stokes filed her nomination papers on Tuesday, which were accepted by returning officer R.C. Chopra.
HI secretary-general Narinder Batra informed Chopra that the federation would not follow the election guidelines set by sports ministry as they were not looking for government grants, thus becoming the third sport body after the IOA and the Badminton Association of India to refuse financial aid.
Stokes’ candidature came under a shadow on Monday after the sports ministry made it clear that the “No Objection” given to Hockey India for the polls was conditional and would apply only if it abided with the recent age limitation guidelines of the government.
Stokes is 83 and as per the government guidelines no official who is 70 or above is eligible to contest elections of National Sports Federations. During the scrutiny former Pargat Singh, a candidate for the president’s post, objected to the nomination of Stokes.
Said government observer S. Mendiratta in a letter to the ministry: “Narinder Batra admitted that Stokes was above the age of 70, but countered that the elections to Hockey India were to be held in accordance with the constitution and by-laws of Hockey India, which is a registered society under the Societies Registration Act and that there was no age limit. “HI submitted that the guidelines of the sports ministry were only meant for those federations, which were seeking financial and other facilities and that those guidelines were not applicable to sports federations as were not soliciting any such grant or facility.”
The ministry, on its part, said that it will adopt a tough stance and might de-recognise Hockey India at its AGM slated for July 28.
“The RO was told about the HI constitution by officials, who are not elected members. We have taken a note of it. It is now for the AGM to decide what they want. If they don’t want to follow our guidelines for the elections then we will de-recognise HI,” said sports ministry joint-secretary Injeti Srinivas.