CHENNAI: The sports ministry has finally "examined and observed" that the current Hockey India (HI) president Mohammad Mushtaq Ahmed is ineligible to hold the post and directed the federation to conduct fresh elections.
Interestingly, according to the letter written to the secretary-general of the HI, the ministry took more than a year to "observe" that Ahmed had flouted the tenure issue.
The letter, signed by under-secretary Raju Bagga, said "I am directed to refer to your letter dated 23.03.2019 in response to this department's letter dated 13.02.2019 and to say that the matter has been examined in the department and it has been observed that Mushtaque Ahmed had earlier served as Treasurer in Hockey India from 2010-2014 and secretary-general from 2014-2018. The instant term 2018-2022 of Mushtaque as president is his third consecutive term as office-bearer in HI."
This is in violation of the National Sports Development Code 2011, which restricts the tenure of a treasurer or a secretary-general to two consecutive terms of four years followed by a cooling-off period of four years. The sports code, however, allows a president to hold three consecutive terms of four years. Ahmed served as a secretary-general as well as a treasurer for four years each making it a cumulative two terms.
The letter directed the HI to advise Ahmed to demit office and conduct fresh elections for the period of 2018-2022. The election should be held before September 30.
HI contested that since it was not recognised in 2010, Ahmed's tenure as treasurer should not be counted. HI got recognition only in 2014 and Ahmed was elected the secretary-general and 2018 is the second elections of the newly-recognised unit.