HC-appointed administrator to run Vidarbha Hockey Assn

Staff Reporter

IN AN effort to save the game of hockey from factional feud within Vidarbha Hockey Association (VHA), Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court on Tuesday directed Deputy Charity Commissioner to appoint a body of fit persons as administrator to manage the affairs of VHA. This body of administrator will run the show and also select the VHA teams for future tournaments.
The High Court was hearing a petition filed by VHA President B C Bharatiya and Secretary Vinod Gavai against Hockey India’s communication dated January 7, 2019 debarring VHA teams from participating in upcoming hockey nationals in the year 2019. 
This action by the Hockey India against VHA has been preceded by the suspension of the associate membership of VHA due to confusion prevailing in it due to groupism.
A division bench consisting of Justice Ravi Deshpande and Justice Shriram Modak after a detailed hearing found that due to factional feud within VHA, young and talented players were deprived from participating in national matches and hence passed direction to handover reins of VHA to administrator. 
All the sides have been directed to appear before Deputy Charity Commissioner on April 22 and submit names of eminent sports persons. The authority has been directed to form a consensus panel which will handle VHA’s administration till the controversy is not settled.
The 13-member executive committee of VHA was divided with AP Joshi group allegedly suspending president BC Bhartiya and secretary Vinod Gavai for irregularities and running the association in a dictatorial manner.
This resulted in VHA sending two teams for senior nationals at Chennai and Jabalpur where Hockey India did not allow any of the teams to participate putting a question mark on careers of budding players. Bhartiya then approached court against Hockey India’s decision to suspend the association.
In the meanwhile, the eight members of rival panel (AP Joshi panel), claimed to appoint vice-president Arvind Joshi as its new president and joint secretary Pramod Jain as its secretary. They also approached Hockey India and submitted minutes of the meetings in which the eight members unanimously elected Joshi and Jain.
Advocate Rohit M Sharma appeared for the petitioner-VHA. Adv Saurabh Chaudhari (Union Sports Ministry), Adv Shreerang Bhandarkar (other faction) appeared in the matter.