A group of former Indian hockey players has publicly rallied behind
The protest featured several notable Olympians, including Vineet Kumar and Romeo James, who represented India at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. While other prominent figures such as Zafar Iqbal, V. Baskaran, and Ashok Kumar were unable to attend, they remain part of the collective supporting Tirkey. The group sought to voice their dissent at the stadium but were denied entry by authorities, leading them to gather outside the venue with placards.
Escalating internal conflict at Hockey India
The discord within the federation reached a critical point on September 12, when Director General Cdr. R.K. Srivastava was stripped of his administrative powers. This move followed allegations of non-compliance with directives issued by Tirkey, specifically regarding an unauthorized trip to the World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium. Tensions further intensified when Srivastava accompanied secretary general Bhola Nath Singh to a formal event in Chandigarh, while Tirkey was simultaneously engaged in meetings with Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in New Delhi.
The situation was compounded on September 18, when an emergent Executive Board meeting was convened by Bhola Nath Singh without the formal sanction of the president. Among those participating in the protest was former women’s team captain
Calls for an ad-hoc administrative committee
To address the ongoing instability, the group of former players has formally demanded the establishment of an ad-hoc committee to oversee Hockey India’s operations until the next scheduled elections. They propose that this body should include former players, a retired judge or legal expert, and an official observer from either the Sports Ministry or the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
Pramod Batlaw, a member of the silver-medal-winning 1978 Asian Games squad, emphasized the necessity of these changes to protect the integrity of the sport. He expressed concern that individuals without a background in hockey are attempting to undermine Tirkey’s leadership to consolidate power within the organization. The former players maintain that these reforms are essential to restore professional governance to the federation.
