Gill sacked, IHF dissolved

NEW DELHI: Mr K P S Gill���s 15-year old tenure as head the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) came to an unceremonious end on Monday with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) removing him from the post and suspending the IHF. The IOA appointed an ad-hoc committee to oversee the affairs of the Indian hockey which, will be headed by former Olympian-turned Congress leader Aslam Sher Khan, the man who recently launched an all-out campaign demanding Mr Gill���s sacking after the Indian hockey team failed to qualify for the Olympics for the first time in history.

The ad-hoc committee will also have hockey legends such as Ashok Kumar, Dhanraj Pillay, Ajit Pal Singh and Zafar Iqbal as members. There are indications that IOA made the move after getting the go ahead from the government. The development comes close on the heels of the newly-appointed sports minister M S Gill virtually sounded the count-down by publicly calling upon Mr K P S Gill to quit. The unanimous decision to suspend IHF was taken at an emergency meeting called by the IOA, following an expose, which showed IHF secretary-general K Jothikumaran accepting bribe to select a player in the national team.

���It is a painful decision that we made today. But it had to be taken since there were corruption allegations. We have taken the decision after discussions with former Olympians, captains and all those who have played for India,��� IOA president Suresh Kalmadi told a packed press conference in the Capital. ���Gill was there (at the meeting) throughout. It was a unanimous decision and no one spoke against it. We have great respect for K P S Gill and it is not personal. Jothikumaran did not come unfortunately, we wanted to hear him out. It was an opportunity for him to present his case,��� he added.