New Delhi: Served with an ultimatum to merge or face consequences, the warring Hockey India and Indian Hockey Federation on Monday agreed to jointly work together under a temporary arrangement for the betterment of the game without forming a unified body.
After a marathon eight and half hour-long meeting among HI, IHF and Sports Ministry officials, it was agreed that the two bodies will work under an arrangement which will continue till December 2012. However, there was no merger between the two bodies.
In what is being interpreted as a breakthrough of sorts, the two factions agreed to jointly work on four aspects — organising National Championships, preparation of national teams and selection of national teams and participation in international tournaments.
Under the arrangement, there will be a joint Executive Committee of 39 members and a joint Working Committee of eight members which will take the final decision.
HI will have 20 members in the 39-member Executive Committee while the remaining 19 will be from the IHF.
“The decisions will be taken by the Working Committee which will have eight members — four each from HI and IHF. There will be a chairman and co-chairman of the working committee, one each from HI and IHF. The chairman and the co-chairman will have equal powers,” HI’s General Secretary Narendra Batra said.
IHF President R K Shetty and Batra jointly addressed the media, saying that they were happy with the discussions and the arrangements. (PTI)