Monday, January 11, 2010

HOCKEY INDIA TO THE POLLS FEB 7

Hockey India (HI) on Monday set February 7 as the new date for its elections

HI president Ashok Kumar Mattoo, after an election-related meeting with world body FIH vice-president Antonio Van Ondarza, said the groundwork for the elections has been done.

"We have done the documentation work for the elections and it is for the FIH observer and the government-appointed observer to look into it now. We have made substantial progress in today's meeting. There were some issues and that have been cleared now," he said.

Mattoo also said that Delhi and Punjab have been affiliated to the national body.

On the ongoing national camp boycott by the men's team in Pune, he said: "We are still in a dialogue with the players and will sort it out soon."

The elections have been postponed twice. They were supposed to be held last year, but were pushed back to Jan 29, and had to be deferred again after HI was not able to give 21 days' election notice to the sports ministry for the elections.