NAGPUR: In line with Indian Olympic Association (IOA's) "One State, One Unit" policy, the Vidarbha Hockey Association (VHA's) membership with Hockey India (HI) - the national governing body for the sport in India - will be revoked, Hockey Maharashtra members said.
The decision was made following a Nagpur bench of Bombay high court's June 20 order, which was uploaded on Wednesday. Justices Nitin Sambre and Abhay Mantri delivered the verdict while resolving the writ petition filed by VHA regarding the Association's membership with HI. With HC upholding HI's decision, VHA's membership will be considered withdrawn effective from July 1, 2020.
HI counsel Shreerang Bhandarkar told TOI that had Vidarbha been a separate state, VHA could have survived and remained a member of the national federation.
On January 6, 2020, HI notified VHA that their membership would automatically terminate from July 1. Consequently, in June 2020, VHA approached the HC's Nagpur bench, challenging HI's decision to revoke its membership based on the policy that each state should be represented by a single body.
As legal proceedings were ongoing, HI retained VHA as an associate member since August 24, 2013.
HC also granted VHA liberty to approach Hockey Maharashtra for allocation of membership, stating, "We expect that Hockey Maharashtra shall deal with the same in accordance with its Constitution."
HC noted that HI issued instructions under Clause 31.1.3 of the IOA Constitution, directing VHA to coordinate all its hockey-related sports activities with respect to the HI member-states.
VHA was instructed to obtain affiliation with Hockey Maharashtra, the apex body at the State Level for hockey sports activities under the "One State, One Association" policy.
Instead of complying with Hockey India's directives and obtaining Hockey Maharashtra membership, VHA challenged January 6, 2020 communication before HC which was rejected on Wednesday. The judges observed that the challenged communication is based on a policy decision with which the court cannot interfere in the writ jurisdiction.
Bhandarkar pointed out that VHA cannot control the various district associations as claimed and that VHA will not be left without any remedy in such an eventuality. All these districts can independently apply for membership with Hockey Maharashtra to participate in various state, national, and international level hockey events.
Hockey Maharashtra was represented by counsel AM Sudame, while Anand Parchure represented the petitioner VHA.
