Businessmen heading sports bodies causing harm to games: SC
7 Dec 2013 4:54 AM IST
In stinging remarks on the state of affairs in sporting bodies, the apex court said it is a ‘sad commentary’ that people who are the administrators of the game have nothing to do with sports and they run the bodies at the cost of the game.
‘Sports are run by private individual persons. Private individuals are controlling the games in India. Can the game be held hostage by private interest. This is why hockey has come down and the team is struggling to qualify for Olympics where we used to win gold medals,’ a bench comprising justices TS Thakur and J Chelameshwar said.
‘These officers run the federations at the cost of the game. They do not have anything to do with the game. It is a sad commentary on sports in the country,’ it further said.
The court was hearing a plea filed by Indian Hockey Federation, which is at loggerheads with its rival Hockey India, seeking stay on the proceeding initiated by Federation of International Hockey to find out which of them is to be recognised to represent the country at international events.
‘Sports are run by private individual persons. Private individuals are controlling the games in India. Can the game be held hostage by private interest. This is why hockey has come down and the team is struggling to qualify for Olympics where we used to win gold medals,’ a bench comprising justices TS Thakur and J Chelameshwar said.
‘These officers run the federations at the cost of the game. They do not have anything to do with the game. It is a sad commentary on sports in the country,’ it further said.
The court was hearing a plea filed by Indian Hockey Federation, which is at loggerheads with its rival Hockey India, seeking stay on the proceeding initiated by Federation of International Hockey to find out which of them is to be recognised to represent the country at international events.
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