Hockey India on Tuesday defied government guidelines regarding the age cap on national sports federations (NSFs) officials by nominating Vidya Stokes for the post of president. Stokes,83,is well above the government cap of 70 years but she will still be in fray to be HI president at the July 28 elections. Submitting their case before returning officer,Retd Justice RC Chopra,Hockey India claimed they were not bound by government guidelines since they wouldnt seek any financial assistance or official recognition from the government. Government observer for the elections,SK Mendiratta,said the returning officer had agreed to allow Stokes to contest following representations by Hockey India. Though the government is clear about its stand of adhering to age and tenure limits,Hockey India has put it on record before the RO that they do not seek assistance or recognition from the government. They have also cited that they are a registered society governed by their own rules and constitution. Therefore,Justice Chopra has decided to allow Vidya Stokes to contest elections, said Mendiratta,who was present during the scrutiny of nominations for the elections. Stokes will be up against former India captain Pargat Singh. Even though the Sports Ministry has a one sport,one body policy,they have decided to treat hockey as a special case and consider both Hockey India and the KPS Gill headed Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) as recognised federations. However,joint secretary of sports,Injeti Srinivas,said that the guidelines were binding. Government guidelines and recognition cannot be pick and choose at the fancy of federations. Either you have it or you dont, he told The Indian Express. If they dont seek government recognition,why did they come for an NOC to go ahead with the elections? Also,Hockey India itself is not an elected body; the elections are yet to happen. In which case,it is interesting to see two individuals,who are themselves nominated and have anointed themselves president and secretary respectively,of an ad-hoc body,take a decision on behalf of the entire federation, he added. On his part,HIs incumbent secretary general Narinder Batra claimed that the federation had accepted the government guidelines as existing in January 2010. There is a two-term cap,which we will accept. But we do not accept the May amendments to the guidelines that bring in an age limit. As for funds,if the government doesnt help,we will seek support from states and corporates. We will do whatever is needed, Batra said. Nambiar elected unopposed Meanwhile,Air Indias Ramesh Nambiar was elected unopposed as HI joint secretary after the other five nominees from various states associations decided not to oppose any candidate from the institutions. Its a great thing that the state units decided on this. They had promised they would not contest anyone from Air India or the Railways and they stuck to it, Nambiar said.
