Hockey India threatened to downgrade Odisha’s hockey association over governance lapses, including the appointment of bureaucrats to head all 30 district units, even as the state is the principal sponsor of the Indian men’s and women’s teams.
In a show-cause notice dated October 7, Hockey India said the Hockey Association of Odisha (HAO) failed to comply with its bye-laws on democratic elections, transparency, independence and good governance citing that collectors and district magistrates continued to be the presidents of every district hockey unit, while additional district magistrates were secretaries.
Besides, sub-collector, chief development officer-cum-executive officer of the Zilla Parishad continued to be members of the governing bodies as ex officio under an Odisha government Sports and Youth Services Department notification dated July 22, 2021.
Flagging grounds of non-compliance, Hockey India secretary general Bhola Nath Singh said HAO did not have verifiable election records for all 30 district units, failed to align their bye-laws with the state association’s amended rules and questions over the authority of representatives nominated to the state association’s general body.
Hockey India said that when office-bearers hold positions by virtue of their government designations rather than election by members, the governing bodies cannot be considered democratically constituted as the independence of the district units from the state administration can be questioned.
{{/usCountry}}Hockey India said that when office-bearers hold positions by virtue of their government designations rather than election by members, the governing bodies cannot be considered democratically constituted as the independence of the district units from the state administration can be questioned.
{{/usCountry}}The electoral officer appointed for HAO’s 2026 elections said none of the 30 district units of Odisha submitted notices, minutes, results or other documents establishing that their present governing bodies had been elected.
Twelve district units did not provide any date for the constitution of their governing bodies. Seventeen district units claimed that elections had been held but failed to submit supporting proceedings. In 10 others, the presidents and secretaries were identified as administrative officers, with no election records furnished.
Hockey India also questioned the failure to amend the bye-laws of the district units to align with those of the state association. Although HAO adopted amended bye-laws at a special general body meeting on August 2, its affiliated district units continued to operate under unamended rules, according to the notice.
The deficiencies prevented the electoral roll from being finalised and the election to HAO’s executive committee, scheduled for October 3 from being held.
In a letter dated September 29, HAO had informed Hockey India that district units had been asked to hold their annual general meetings and elections by the third week of October. It said the state association’s own annual general meeting and election would be completed by the last week of the month. Hockey India, however, asked how democratic elections could be conducted in units whose bye-laws remained unamended and whose office-bearers occupied positions ex officio.
It has given HAO two weeks to explain why its membership status should not be changed, a move that could significantly affect Odisha’s standing within the national hockey administration.
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) meanwhile slammed the state government asking how a government that came to power in the name of “Odia Asmita” is sitting silent while risking downgrade despite being the main sponsor of the Indian Hockey team.
“In Odisha, Hockey is an emotion. With the consistent efforts of former CM Naveen Patnaik, hockey in Odisha and across India touched new heights. In the last two years of apathy towards hockey by the present double engine government, there has been a fall in the quality of hockey in the state,” said former sports minister Tushar Kanti Behera.