We're on the job and hope to hold Hockey India elections in two months, India on track to host 2023 WC: CoA member Zafar Iqbal

Zafar Iqbal has said that he hopes that the CoA can set things right for fresh elections in "maybe two months' time". The FIH had on Wednesday written to the CoA expressing its growing concern about the matter, keeping in focus the Men's World Cup scheduled to be hosted by India in the state of Odisha (Bhubaneswar and Rourkela) in January next year. "We (CoA) are on the job, no doubt about it. Hopefully, we will complete the process (of amending the Constitution and holding HI elections) much before the World Cup," said Zafar, talking to TimesofIndia.com about CoA's views on the latest development. "Maybe in two months' time there is a possibility of holding (HI) elections." HI was put under a three-member CoA led by former Supreme Court judge AR Dave by the Delhi High Court in May this year after finding the federation's Constitution and some of the appointments to be in violation of the National Sports Code. The court acted on a petition filed by former India player Aslam Sher Khan, who had challenged the then Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Narinder Batra's appointment as life member of HI and Elena Norman as CEO. Batra has since resigned from the posts of IOA president, International Olympic Committee member and FIH president.

Zafar Iqbal (TOI Photo)After its first letter to the CoA went unanswered, the FIH CEO, Thierry Weil, on Wednesday wrote another letter, saying that the FIH and the Asian Hockey Federation "would be happy to cooperate with the CoA" in order to "amend the Constitution (of HI) in line with the rules laid-down by the Government of India" so that the HI elections "can be held in accordance with the new Constitution". "In order to ensure that the 2023 FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup can still