Hockey Association working illegally, alleges its Jt Secy

Lokmat News Network

Nagpur

Hockey and controversy seem to go hand in hand, at least in Nagpur. Joint Secretary of The Nagpur District Unified Hockey Association (TNDUHA), Pramod Jain, has trained his guns on his own sports association claiming that the president Pramod Thakre and secretary Parvez Qureshi were working in an illegal manner which was harming the future of deserving and talented players.

Jain, who is also the joint secretary of Nagpur District Unified Hockey Association (NDUHA) which is without the definite article 'The', has alleged that Hockey Maharashtra wrongly granted affiliation to the other body without verifying its credentials. The Nagpur District Unified Hockey Association is not registered with the Charity Commissioner while NDUHA has such a registration, he has said, claiming that all activities of the association were illegal and the Pune headquartered Hockey Maharashtra was being kept in the dark.

Jain said that a meeting of all registered members of the original Nagpur District Unified Hockey Association was held on May 13 where it was decided that only registered office bearers of the organisation will run all activities of hockey in the district. It was also unanimously decided that the joint secretary Pramod Jain would also act as the secretary of the organisation owing to the elected secretary Salim Baig's ill health.

Talking to Lokmat Times, Jain clarified that the step was being taken to secure the future of hockey in the region. "Now budding players will not suffer any more. The association will organise a summer camp for under-19 boys and girls and later a hockey tournament for juniors at the Tiger Gap ground," he said.

The office-bearers of NDUHA were elected unanimously on July 16, 2012 and the body was also registered with the charity commissioner with registration number BPT No. 1676/12 (N) on September 10, 2013. It has subsequently started functioning and organised hockey games. However, its activities were stopped later as Hockey India awarded associate membership to Vidarbha Hockey Association (VHA) which remained the only recognised body till June 30, 2020.

The Indian Olympic Association had then introduced its 'One State One Association' policy from July 1, 2020 following which the affiliation of VHA was discontinued. District units of VHA were asked to approach Hockey Maharashtra individually for affiliation.

Box

Nothing wrong in TNDUHA: Parvez

Secretary of 'The Nagpur District Unified Hockey Association' Parvez Qureshi rejected the allegation and said that his association was registered with the charity commissioner and legal formalities were still on. "Our TNDUHA is a registered body with the charity commissioner and legal formalities are under process. Our activities are not illegal. Some office bearers who were earlier with the VHA wish to control hockey in the region. Pramod Jain has no authority to act as secretary of the association as Salim Baig was still working," he claimed.

While the 'Nagpur District Unified Hockey Association' and its namesake, 'The Nagpur District Unified Hockey Association' dribble for control of the game, hockey players are aghast at the state of affairs. Which is the original, they ask in exasperation.