FIH ‘monitoring’ India-IOC scenario in advance of Hockey Series Finals in Bhubaneswar

NEW DELHI: After the International Olympic Committee (IOC) wrote to all international federations about their ‘preserve talks’ stand on the India website hosting worldwide sports activities, a cloud of uncertainty hangs over tournaments throughout sports activities, along with the guys’ FIH Series Finals this is scheduled for this June in Bhubaneswar. As of now, the arena body of worldwide hockey, the FIH, is “monitoring this difficulty.” The IOC’s choice to suspend all talks with India, as far as website hosting international tournaments is concerned, became taken after the Pakistan capturing team changed into denied Indian visas for the ISSF World Cup in Delhi’s final month. The IOC has sought a “written guarantee” from the Indian government on the participation of all gamers in future events. The tension between India and Pakistan escalated following the Pulwama terror assault in February; that’s likely why the Pakistan team was now not granted visas.

A similar visa state of affairs arose with Kosovo boxer Donjeta Sadiku, who turned into also recently denied entry into India for the World Championships, as India does not understand Kosovo as a kingdom. The ISSF World Cup but went in advance but simplest after IOC revoked Olympic quota locations in the guys’ 25m Rapid Fire Pistol, the occasion in which the 2 Pakistani shooters have been scheduled to participate. But simply over a yr earlier than the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, the IOC diktat has cast a shadow on some of the main occasions India is scheduled to host, along with the hockey tournament in Bhubaneswar, which is also a pre-Olympic qualifier. The United World Wrestling, in the meantime, has stripped India of web hosting rights for the Junior Asian Championship scheduled for this July. Media reports also advocate that the International Boxing Federation has dropped India as hosts of the 2020 Asia-Oceania Olympic qualifiers. Could hockey be the next casualty?

The Indian sports fraternity might no longer desire. As of now, the FIH is keeping a near watch on matters. “We are tracking this issue and are in touch with the IOC,” FIH CEO Thierry Weil stated in an e-mail conversation with Timesofindia.Com. “We will also comment on FIH occasions planned in India or for which India is bidding as soon as we can.” In this context, FIH president Narinder Batra, who’s also the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president, is predicted to play a key role. Also, with Pakistan now not scheduled to be a part of the tournament, a chief stumbling block has already been averted. Apart from hosts India, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Russia, South Africa, the USA, and Uzbekistan are the alternative international locations set to participate in the eight-crew FIH Series Finals in June. There may be three FIH Series Finals in 2019, and the pinnacle groups from this kind of will join the four pinnacle groups from the FIH Pro League (which India isn’t part of), alongside teams ranked maximum on FIH Rankings among folks that haven’t qualified through their respective Continental Championship. These 12 teams will then play the 2020 Tokyo Olympics qualifiers.

Interestingly, India has additionally bid for the following guys or women’s Hockey World Cup (for the 13-29 January 2023 window) that still comes underneath the scanner, as things stand, except either the IOC or the Indian authorities soften its stand. The accurate information is there are symptoms that the IOC is now looking to act on a “case-by means of-case” foundation. TimesofIndia.Com wrote an e-mail to the IOC Press Office for more clarity on this. In response, the IOC stated, “Following the IOC Executive Board choice on 21 February, the IOC has written to all International Federations (IFs), and the situation is being tested hence via each IF in order that suitable motion may be taken on a case-through-case basis, if and when vital, which includes the current selection via UEFA to withdraw qualifying matches for the U-17 European Championships from Spain. “In parallel, the IOC is in near touch with the Indian NOC to urge the Indian authorities to offer all of the important written ensures as required in the IOC EB choice.”