A former Member of Rajya Sabha and captain of Indian men hockey team, Tirkey is currently functioning as the Chairman of Odisha Hockey Promotion Council. Bhola Nath Singh is also functioning as the president of Hockey Jharkhand.

While DSYS disclosed the formation of the Adhoc Committee, it is not clear as to who actually formed such a committee. Hockey India, the apex governing body of hockey in the country, remained silent on the issue today. In its website, Hockey India has named Odisha, not Hockey Odisha, in the list of Associate Members. But in place of names of president and secretary of the Odisha unit, Hockey India has only mentioned ‘ADHOC Committee’.

According to media reports, published earlier on June 14, Hockey India first formed Adhoc Committee with Bhola Nath Singh and Dilip Tirkey as the chairman and players representative respectively. On June 7, Hockey India wrote a letter to Odisha Olympic Association (OOA) president Jagmohan Pattnaik and requested to nominate its representative for the Adhoc Committee as member.

Stunned by formation of the Adhoc Committee, Hockey Odisha, originally a founder member of Hockey India, expressed its displeasure. “Without terminating the existing Hockey Odisha, why Hockey India formed an Adhoc Committee,” Hockey Odisha secretary Pratap Satapathy was quoted to have said.

However, after hue and cry in the local media, the Adhoc Committee has been reconstituted with Dilip Tirkey replacing Bhola Nath Singh as the chairman. Meanwhile, many clandestine things, involving governance and management of hockey in Odisha, have come to the fore.

According to media reports, despite receiving huge amount funding and free infrastructure facility from Odisha, Hockey India is acting against the interest of the sport in the state. By terminating the associate membership of Hockey Gangpur-Odisha and demoting Hockey Odisha from permanent member to associate member without voting right, Hockey India has been trying to take control of the sport in the state.

On the other hand, many hockey observers of the state have welcomed the formation of the Adhoc Committee. They say it was necessary to stop Hockey Odisha from functioning in manner that lacked accountability and transparency. They blame Hockey Odisha General Secretary Pratap Satpathy for the sorry state of affairs in the state body.

The observers allege that Satpathy, in connivance with a few of his supporters, has made Hockey Odisha as his personal property for around two decades. “The only state championship of Odisha is being held on grass surface at Barabati Stadium, Cuttack, while synthetic turf has become a common feature everywhere. Fake district bodies have been formed to help the incumbent office-bearers stay in power. No effort is being made to take the sport to all parts of the state,’’ alleged one former player.

“If Hockey India has taken Hockey Odisha to task, it has done the right thing,’’ said another former hockey player. It is a fact that in order to make hockey governance transparent and accountable in the country, Hockey India asked its members units create their own websites and upload information related to players, officials, activities.

While most member units complied with the Hockey India guidelines, Hockey Odisha did not cooperate. It not only delayed the process, but also tried to confront the National body. When repeated reminders did not yield results, Hockey India formed the Adhoc Committee.
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TOP: Undated file photo of Adhoc Committee chairman Dilip Tirkey.
RIGHT: Undated file photo of Hockey Odisha general secretary Pratap Satpathy.