Politicians, businessmen harming sports, Hockey at an abysmal low, says Supreme Court

NEW DELHI: Politicians and businessmen heading sports bodies are causing harm to the games and should leave their running to sportpersons, the Supreme Court said on Thursday while expressing concern over the standard of hockey falling to an “abysmal low” in the country.

In stinging remarks on the state of affairs in sporting bodies, the apex court said it is a “sad commentary” that people who are the administrators of the game have nothing to do with sports and they run the bodies at the cost of the game.

“Sports are run by private individual persons. Private individuals are controlling the games in India. Can the game be held hostage by private interest. This is why hockey has come down and the team is struggling to qualify for Olympics where we used to win gold medals,” a bench comprising justices T S Thakur and J Chelameshwar said.

“These officers run the federations at the cost of the game. They do not have anything to do with the game. It is a sad commentary on sports in the country,” it further said.

The court was hearing a plea filed by Indian Hockey Federation, which is at loggerheads with its rival Hockey India, seeking stay on the proceeding initiated by Federation of International Hockey to find out which of them is to be recognised to represent the country at international events.