Another win for Arjuna awardee
Irked by the removal from HM president post,Bhide had moved court
Irked by the removal from HM president post,Bhide had moved court
The Pune district court,on Saturday restrained Mumbai-based builder Vijay Khanna — the newly appointed president of Hockey Maharashtra (HM) — from attending the Hockey India annual general meeting in Delhi on Monday in capacity as HM president.
Instead,it has allowed Arjuna awardee Rekha Bhide-Mundphan,president of HM since May 2010 and vice-president of Hockey India to attend the meeting. Earlier this month,Bhide was abruptly demoted from the post of HM president.
She had moved the civil judge (junior division) Abhijit Solapure against HM’s decision to demote her from the president’s post of HM. The court,however,rejected her application.
Bhide,through her lawyers Vinayak Abhyankar and Shivraj Kadam appealed in the civil court (senior division) on Saturday morning. The court allowed the appeal and permitted Bhide to attend the July 23 meeting in Delhi.
“Vijay Khanna is allowed to attend the meeting of Hockey India,which will be held on July 23,but shall not represent himself as the representative of defendant one (Hockey Maharashtra),” the order states.
Bhide,who is an Olympian and Arjuna awardee was nominated by Hockey India (HI) as the president of HM on May 2,2010. She was the first player appointed the manager of the sixth junior women’s hockey team for Asia Cup that took place in Bangkok between June 27 and July 7. The team bagged the silver medal and qualified for the junior World Cup.
“I got a mail on July 22,the day I was leaving for Bangkok from Kehar Singh,secretary of HM that an urgent meeting was convened on July 2,that had eight to nine agendas. I objected to him via e-mail stating that the meeting cannot be conveyed without my consent as I was the president,” Bhide said.
Singh,however,went ahead and conducted the meeting and announced that Bhide was demoted as the vice-president and Khanna was elected the president.
He also allegedly wrote to the HI,sports directorate and other officials that the decision was taken in the presence of board of council.
“It was not possible as a decision of such a magnitude needs to be taken in the presence of the seven founder members of HM and me,” she said.
“After returning from Bangkok,I tried to contact Kehar Singh and asked him to explain the reason for my demotion,but I failed to get any reply from him,” said Bhide,who is also a sports officer with the Central Railways.
“I am not fighting for the post,but for my respect and civil rights. If this is the way a player of my stature is being treated,how can the concerned person show any respect for the game. I do not know who this Vijay Khanna is and what his contribution to Indian Hockey is,” Bhide,added.
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