Supreme Court allows Indian Olympic Association and Hockey India to field hockey team for C'wealth Games

The Supreme Court today allowed the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and Hockey India (HI) to field the men's and women's teams in the October Commonwealth Games.

"We direct as an interim measure that IOA and HI will field the Indian team for men amd women hockey in the Commonwealth Games," a Bench comprising RV Raveendran and HL Gokhale said.

The order was passed after Hockey India's rival Indian Hockey Federation admitted that it was not affiliated to the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

Indian Olympic Association also said that it recognises only Hockey India as the National Federation.

The IOA had submitted before the court that being an apex body of the sports, it considers the suggestion of the respective associations and federations affiliated with it for the selection of teams.

"We find no reason why IOA should not field the team in assistance with the HI as has been done in the case of Indian women's hockey team for the World Cup in Argentina," the Bench said.

The court hoped that the best team would be fielded for the Games.

"We hope that all stakeholders will realise that it is important that the best team is fielded, instead of indulging in internal squabble," the Bench said.

Commenting on the dispute, the Bench said "we find this is a case of much ado about nothing," as every body agrees including HI, SAI (Sports Authority of India) and IOA that the team would be selected by the National Selection Committee which comprises former players like Zafar Iqbal, Ajit Pal Singh, Govinda and Balbir Singh.

"It is not if SAI, HI, IOA have differences over the selection of players. Players are the same and selectors are same for everybody," said the Bench, which was told that the names of the players for Games will be known by today or tomorrow.

The entry for the team has to be made before September 3.

The order was passed after Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports failed to convince the court that IOA alone could facilitate the entry of the teams to the Games.

Solicitor general Gopal Subramanium submitted that the procedure for entry of the teams in the Games was different from the other international events.

He claimed that for a national team to participate in the Commonwealth Games, the IOA can directly make the entry before the Commonwealth Games Federation and there was no need for any national body to be affiliated with the FIH.

However, his submission was opposed by HI's counsel Ashok Desai, Mukul Rohtagi and IOA's advocate Indu Malhotra.

Even the Bench was not convinced that IOA could select the team.

"IOA is an umbrella body. If it did not have expertise in the game how a team could be selected by it," the Bench observed.

The court was also surprised that in the selection of the team, the coach has no say.

"India has a dubious distinction that the coaches have no say in the selection of the team," the Bench said and noted in its order the names of coaches for the men's and women teams.

The court concluded the hearing by allowing the IOA to add any member into the NSC and posted the hearing after the Games.

The court allowed Indian Hockey Federation to be made party in the matter.

On August 25, the court had expressed fear that because of the tussle between the associations for control of the national game, India may lose a chance to participate in the Commonwealth Games.

The Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) and Hockey India (HI) are locked in a battle for controlling Indian Hockey.

The apex court on August 17, in an interim order, had rejected Government's claim and allowed Hockey India (HI) and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to send a women's team to participate in the World Cup in Argentina.

The Bench had passed the order after Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports failed to produce any written communication to substantiate its claim that the International Hockey Federation (FIH) had authorised it to send the team for the World Cup beginning on August 26.

HI had succeeded in placing before it a communication by the FIH which authorised it to represent the Indian team in international events.

Webb Roger, the acting Director General of FIH, in the communication had made it clear that only HI can send a team to participate in the Women's World Championship.

The apex court was hearing the petition moved by the Hockey India challenging the government decision revoking recognition to it for flouting guidelines relating to age and tenure of officials.

The Ministry had contended that since HI was a 'private body' it could not be authorised to select the team for representing India.

The Ministry had claimed that IHF was recognised by the FIH to send the team for the women's world cup.

The HI has also sought revocation of a letter written by government to the International Hockey Federation about its decision that HI is not a recognised body.

The letter written by the government to the IHF on August 9 had said "Hockey India has lost the national character".

HI has consistently been maintaining that it is the only recognised body for India by the International Hockey Federation.

The Delhi high court had, on May 21, held that the HI was a private body and restrained it from holding election for its office bearers. However, the apex court had later allowed the conduct of election.