Hold elections to avoid jeopardising WC '23: FIH fires ultimatum

The International Hockey Federation (FIH) will write to the Committee of Administrators governing Hockey India, asking it to conduct elections and avoid "jeopardising" the men's World Cup to be held in Odisha in January.

The executive board of the FIH on Friday took the decision to send an official communication to the CoA at its meeting in Terrassa, Spain on the sidelines of the Women's World Cup.

"FIH will send an official communication to the Committee of Administrators of Hockey India with a request to have elections for India's hockey governing body held as soon as possible, in order not to jeopardise the upcoming FIH Hockey Men's World Cup scheduled in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela in January 2023," the FIH stated on Saturday.

The world governing body's next meeting of the executive board will be held on November 3 ahead of the FIH Congress that will be held virtually on November 4-5, 2022.

Hockey India's situation is expected to be reviewed again in FIH's next executive board meeting.

The Delhi High Court in May placed Hockey India under a three-member CoA after observing that the federation had violated the National Sports Code.

The court ruling came on a petition filed by former India player Aslam Sher Khan, who had challenged Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Narinder Batra's appointment as a life member of Hockey India.

The High Court held that HI's appointment of Batra as its life member and Elena Norman as CEO were illegal, and thus the administrative setup of the national federation was erroneous or illegal.

SA to host Indoor World Cup in Feb '23

Meanwhile, South Africa was confirmed as host of the next FIH Hockey Indoor World Cup, which was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The event will be held in Pretoria from February 5-11.