Sports Ministry asks HI not to hold elections

The Sports Ministry on Tuesday asked Hockey India (HI) to suspend its election process in the wake of the Delhi High Court order reviving the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF).

The Ministry on Tuesday wrote a letter to the Secretary General of Hockey India, Narinder Batra asking him not to take any further action with regard to holding of the HI elections.

"In the light of the High Court Judgment... whereby Hon'ble High Court has quashed the suspension and disaffiliation/de-recognition orders passed by Indian Olympic Association and Union of India, you are advised to not to take further action with regard to holding of elections till the entire matter is examined in consultation with Ministry of Law," the letter said.

The controversial elections have been postponed three times due to legal hurdles and other issues.

The election which was supposed to be held last year, was pushed back to January 29 after HI failed to give a mandatory 21-day notice to the Sports Ministry for the same.

It was again deferred to February 7 because of a stay order from the Rajasthan High Court after which the International Hockey Federation (FIH) set the May 31 as the final deadline.