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ShareNew Delhi: Sports Minister MS Gill has warned Indian hockey and weightlifting officials to pull up their socks and save the country from further embarrassment.
On the sidelines of a schools function here, he made it clear that an elected hockey body needed to be in place soon and that the doping offences in weightlifting needed to be explained by office bearers. Regarding Hockey India (HI), Gill said the elections should be fair and officials should ensure they do not miss the new deadline set by the world body (FIH). "India is a democratic country where there are free and fair elections to Parliament. The HI elections must be totally transparent which will have to be acceptable to the country," Gill said here after the FIH agreed to reset the deadline to February from the earlier November 20 date.
An ad hoc committee appointed by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) ran the game in the country before a set of office bearers was nominated to ensure a smooth merger of the various state bodies of both men and women, as is required for the national body to be recognised by the FIH.
However, this process could not be completed in the six months as was desirable, and also led to secretary Mohammad Aslam Khan resigning from his post. "HI could not hold elections by November 20 and the FIH has extended the deadline till February next year. I have accepted that and HI must hold elections by that time. For this, HI should first ensure the formation of a single body for men and women in all states," he said.
Gill also pulled up the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWF), which he said owed an explanation for the dope scandals that are likely to get a third ban for the national body. "Recently, a number of weightlifters tested positive for banned substances. That has brought shame to the country and the IWF is facing international punishment.
