India awarded hockey World Cup, in principle

However, neither the FIH nor the IHF would divulge what these targets were. They were “confidential” was what the media was told.

And not only has the FIH stopped short of a full award, the world body has also set up a World Cup governing body of eight members that will be headed by former Dutch international Andre Bolhuis. This body will be working in tandem with the World Cup organising committee, of which IHF secretary K Jothikumaran is the chairman.

Their main task is to oversee if the preparations for the World Cup are running smoothly and that the Indian Hockey Confederation (IHC) meets the tasks by March 2008.

This is the first time that the world body has not allowed a national federation total control in organising a major event like the World Cup.

India had earlier successfully hosted the men’s Champions Trophy twice in Chennai (1995 and 2005).

The FIH’s decision to involve itself in the running of the event assumes importance since the world body insisted late last year that the IHC (a statutory joint body, involving the men’s and women’s federations) should restructure it’s functioning.

FIH also said that it was influenced by the success of its project ‘Promoting Indian Hockey’ in allotting the 2010 World Cup to New Delhi.

One could clearly interpret this as a signal that the world body is very serious in having the World Cup in India though the FIH chief did not mention the tasks that India had to fulfill by March. She also said that if India failed to meet the targets then there is a possibility that it would go somewhere else.

She, however, said: “I am positive that the IHC will meet the required targets by March and that the Cup will be hosted in New Delhi.”

Its’ surprising that in these competitive times the FIH wants to give the World Cup to a nation which it till now has felt unfit to do so.

The world body states that it is looking to revive Indian hockey and that the IOC chief Jacques Rogge had suggested this after he watched India finish 11th at the previous World Cup in Moenchengladbach in Germany last year.

Els stated that “the improvement of Indian hockey is critical for the sport’s future, both in India and internationally” and that they also had an eye on the sudden economic boom that India was enjoying and wouldn’t mind if hockey also got a piece of that pie.

“We are not stupid, we can see that India is flourishing, and that it will only be fair if those corporate house consider helping hockey. So we welcome sponsors both for the World Cup as well as global sponsors for the FIH,” she said.

In end whatever be the technicalities or reasons that are associated with this move, let us hope the purpose of helping hockey in India gets served.