Hockey India schedules December 5 elections amid internal disputes and state-level voting controversies

Hockey India will elect new office-bearers for the 2026-2030 term at a federation poll on December 5, the body has announced, formally opening its electoral process amid ongoing internal disputes and challenges to the validity of member-unit polls.

The federation has appointed Sudhir Tripathi as electoral officer and ordered all permanent member units to submit one male and one female nominee for the electoral college by October 15. The final electoral roll is due to be published on November 15, while nominations must be filed between November 22 and November 24 and the draft nominations will be released on November 24. Any objections to the draft will be considered before the final nominations list is declared on December 1, with withdrawals permitted on December 2 and the final list of participants scheduled for publication on December 3.

A Times of India report, citing reviewed documents, says complaints, objections and appeals for intervention have been filed in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Assam. Stakeholders have raised questions about how state polls were conducted, the eligibility of representatives and whether procedures complied with the National Sports Governance Act, 2025.

The matter has also surfaced in Odisha, where proposed elections for the Hockey Association of Odisha did not proceed after the electoral officer flagged concerns about district-unit documentation and governance. Hockey India subsequently issued a show-cause notice to Hockey Odisha, asking for a response as to why they shouldn't be classified from a permanent to an associate member.

A central point of contention within the federation is the power struggle between Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey and secretary general Bhola Nath Singh. The infighting is traced in reports to a controversial change of the national team's jersey colour from blue to saffron, a decision Tirkey said had been taken without his knowledge or the consent of the Hockey India Executive Board.

Tirkey responded by serving a show-cause notice on the federation's Director General, Cdr R K Srivastava, and removing him from all his responsibilities with immediate effect. He also lodged a police complaint against HI officials after he was left stranded in Delhi during an official as the vehicle provided him returned to base with his personal belongings, and he opposed the October 6 executive committee meeting on the grounds that major concerns were not being addressed during the event.

If voting becomes necessary, the federation has scheduled the polls for December 5 and said the result will be declared on the same day.