Free, fair elections are our primary aim: FIH chief

Mumbai: The overriding aim of the International Hockey Federation was to ensure a democratically

elected Hockey India officialdom through a free and fair election on February 7, FIH President Leandro Negre said today. A few units of the suspended Indian Hockey Federation, including Mumbai Hockey Association which was one of its founder members and also hosted the World Cup almost three decades ago, have moved the court following the refusal of Hockey India to grant them affiliation before the elections. "We are aware of the problem with affiliation. We have not given any directive that only one unit per state can be given affiliation (by Hockey India)," Negre told reporters here. "But these are domestic problems that can be solved later. Our primary aim is to have a democratically elected FIH president and board through a free and fair election on February 7," he asserted. The Spanish chief of FIH insisted that the apex body for the sport in the world cannot interfere in the electoral process. "We are aware of the problem but we don`t interfere in domestic matters. It will be solved very soon after the elections," insisted Negre. PTI