NEW DELHI: Indian men’s ice hockey team’s participation in the forthcoming Asian Winter Games — to be held in China’s Harbin from Feb 7-14 — is still uncertain.
As TOI had reported earlier, the ice hockey team was not cleared by the sports ministry for the Games, which had elicited a strong response from PT Usha, the president of Indian Olympic Association (IOA).
IOA had cleared the team for participation, sending the list of athletes to the organisers in November.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Despite this, the ministry called for a fresh selection trial in Leh on Saturday to pick its choice of ice hockey athletes. The ministry had issued an office circular in this regard on Jan 24, calling in ice hockey players to assemble at Nawang Dorjay Stobdan Sports Complex in Leh for trials.
A total of 34 names were listed for trials at the Leh ice hockey rink. However, reportedly, only eight athletes turned up for the trials.
This prompted Usha to write to sports minister Mansukh Mandaviya. The federation governing the ice hockey affairs in the country – Ice Hockey Association of India (IHAI) – is recognised by both the sport’s global governing body and IOA.
IHAI is also recognised by the ministry as a ‘National Sports Promotion Organisation’.
There is another federation claiming to be the official body. Usha wrote in her letter: “The ministry received two lists of players, both of which are not recognised NSFs of ice hockey.
Therefore, it has directed SAI to conduct trials. The ice hockey team recommended for participation in the 9th Asian Winter Games has been selected by IHAI which is an affiliated unit of IOA.
The selection process was conducted in accordance with the guidelines. The names of the selected team members were entered in the registration system of Winter Games as per the deadline of Dec 7, 2024, and no fresh names can be added.”
It remains to be seen what the ministry says to this.
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