NEW DELHI: Nearly 10 days after the visit of the two-member FIH delegation to India to thrash out governance plaguing Hockey India, the sport's global governing body on Saturday issued a fresh warning to the HI's three-member CoA, threatening to take away the 2023 World Cup from India.
In doing so, the world body also hinted at cancellation of the official draw for the tournament in Bhubaneswar on September 8. The threat came after the CoA, headed by Justice (retd) Anil R Dave, submitted the final draft of the HI's constitution to the FIH as agreed during their meeting in New Delhi on August 17.
"I have started to look at the attached draft, and I have to admit that I am surprised to see the number of changes you have done within the new constitution. I am not sure how we should take this, given the fact that you have clearly committed to only make changes on the 3 points mentioned with in the High Court decision," read a mail from FIH CEO Thierry Weil, marked to FIH's acting president Seif Ahmed and HI's former executive director, Cdr R K Srivastava. A copy of the mail is with TOI.
"This is clearly misusing the trust we put in you during the meeting we had in Delhi. I am also not sure if all the changes you did are in accordance with the Sports Code of India?" added the mail.
The latest salvo from the FIH has again jeopardised the progress made during the delegation's visit to India, when the sports ministry officials and the CoA had reached an agreement with the world body to amend its constitution in consonance with the Sports Code and elect a new executive board (EB) by holding elections till October 9 to avoid losing the World Cup.
