Hockey India denies allegations of rift made by outgoing CEO

NEW DELHI:

Hockey India

president

Dilip Tirkey

and

secretary general Bhola Nath Singh

have denied the allegations of a rift made by outgoing

CEO Elena Norman

.
In a joint statement, Tirkey and Singh emphasized that they are united and working in the best interest of the sport. They clarified that recent statements by Norman claiming divisions within the organization are incorrect.

They reiterated that Hockey India is an autonomous and professional body dedicated to the development of

Indian hockey

, with the welfare and progress of the sport and athletes as their primary objective.
Norman's resignation comes as a setback to Hockey India, following the recent resignation of the Indian women's hockey team coach Janneke Schopman, who also cited a difficult work environment.

Schopman had accused Hockey India of treating women's hockey unfairly. However, Tirkey and Singh maintained that Hockey India has always treated all teams and players equally and has fostered an environment of equality within the organization.
They emphasized their commitment to talent development, professionalism in events, and providing the best support to national teams for their performance on the global stage.

Norman highlighted the existence of two factions within Hockey India, with Tirkey and herself on one side and Singh, executive director Cdr. R K Srivastava, and treasurer Sekar J Manoharan on the other. She acknowledged Tirkey's dedication to the betterment of Indian hockey.
However, Tirkey and Singh stated that their focus is now on rebuilding the women's team, which did not qualify for the Olympics, and supporting the men's team for their participation in the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.
Tirkey and Singh expressed their commitment to excellence and a fresh approach in rebuilding the women's team by providing the necessary infrastructure and training.
They also assured their dedication to supporting the National Men's Team in their pursuit of a podium finish at the Olympic Games. The duo aims to move forward from the recent challenges and work towards the development and success of Indian hockey.
(With inputs from PTI)