Randhir unhappy with functioning of ad-hoc committee, quits

New Delhi, Jan 18 (IANS) Indian Olympic Association (IOA) Secretary-General Randhir Singh Sunday confirmed he had indeed resigned from the ad-hoc committee, set-up to run the country's hockey, saying he was unhappy with its functioning.

Randhir told IANS that he had sent in his resignation to IOA president and ad-hoc committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi.

Randhir said he was unhappy with the manner in which the ad-hoc committee was functioning and there was no point in his continuance.

The IOA superseded the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) in April and formed the ad-hoc committee with Mohammed Aslam Khan as the convener.

Randhir's resignation comes after Kalmadi refused a couple of months ago to accept the papers put in by Khan.

That the ad-hoc committee members were pulling in different directions for quite some time was public knowledge, but things came to a head when Randhir was apparently not taken into confidence over the appointment of an overseas coach.

Randhir was miffed that he had to meet Spanish coach Jose Brasa by accident when he went to attend a meeting of the National Games. 'Why should I lend my name to a committee where I have nothing to contribute or when I am not part of the decision-making,' he said.

Randhir hastened to add that he had absolutely no reservations about the choice of the Spaniard who is a top-class coach.

Aslam, however, insists that he had informed all members of the committee about the Spanish coach's programme in the Capital.

Besides Randhir, a couple of other members of the committee and also the selectors have been complaining about the way some of the decisions were taken arbitrarily by one or two persons.

Questions were raised about the selection of managers and officials accompanying the Indian team, particularly one director of communications.

When the IOA took over the reins of Indian hockey from K.P.S. Gill-led IHF in the wake of the alleged cash-for-selection scandal, it made it clear that it would hold elections within three months. It has not made any move towards holding the election on the plea that Gill had gone to the court on supersession.

The ad-hoc committee has also not done anything in forming a unified body to run men and women's hockey as ruled by the International Hockey Federation (FIH).