India could lose the field hockey Champions Trophy and the Olympic qualifying tournaments as the sport’s world governing body Friday voiced concerns over a settlement between the country’s rival bodies. Hockey India (HI) and the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF), who were locked in a bitter tussle, decided on Monday to form a joint executive board to run the game. The International Hockey Federation (FIH), which recognises only Hockey India, expressed to the Indian sports minister its concerns about the settlement, which was without consulting it.
FIH president Leandro Negre has written to the Indian sports minister calling for an urgent meeting to discuss its concerns, the FIH said in a statement. “In the meantime, the FIH executive board has decided that it is neither possible nor appropriate to continue with the discussions with HI to host tournaments in India over the next four-year cycle, particularly the Champions Trophy and the Olympic qualifying tournaments,” the statement said. India are scheduled to host the men’s Champions Trophy in December and the Olympics qualifiers for men and women in February. The Indian Olympic Association sacked the IHF in April 2008 following bribery allegations and poor on-field results and appointed HI to run the sport in the country.
The FIH said there can only be one governing body for a sport in each country with exclusive authority and responsibility to govern, organise competitions and to enter national teams in international competitions.
