HI questions legality of IWHF meet on Saturday

Hockey India questioned the validity of the meeting called by the Indian Women`s Hockey Federation and said such a step taken by IWHF officials was illegal as the FIH had derecognised the federation way back in 2000.

New Delhi: Hockey India president Vidya Stokes questioned the validity of the meeting called by the Indian Women`s Hockey Federation on Saturday and said such a step taken by a few IWHF officials was illegal as the FIH had derecognised the federation way back in 2000.

Boosted by the reinstatement of the KPS Gill-backed Indian Hockey Federation by the Delhi High Court, the IWHF called its executive board meeting on Saturday where it is expected to discuss the pros and cons of the unification process with a rejuvenated IHF. However, HI president, who is also the chief of the IWHF, said the meeting was invalid as it does not have her approval. "In IWHF no office bearer or individual except the president can call Executive Board or General Council Meeting. The meeting being called by a few individuals of former IWHF on May 12 is invalid since it is not called by the president or with the approval of the president," Stokes said in a statement.Stokes further said that the IWHF has no existence in the present context as it was not recognised by the International Hockey Federation (FIH). "IWHF was disaffiliated by FIH in 2000. Since the FIH statutes demanded men and women to merge as per International Olympic Committee (IOC) charter, hence in the year 2000 came into being the Indian Hockey Confederation (IHC) which was to handle both the men and women hockey in India," she said."But the IHC had inherent deficiencies and thereby in 2008 FIH decided to disassociate itself from IHC and Hockey India came into being," she said. PTI