Hockey India secretary general demands Emergent Executive Board meeting after DG fails to provide documents

On Tuesday in New Delhi, Hockey India Secretary General Bholanath Singh asked President Dilip Tirkey to convene an Emergent Executive Board meeting after Director General Cdr. R.K. Srivastava did not provide documentary evidence and failed to respond to queries about internal correspondence and a change in the team jersey.

Singh reiterated that the Executive Board was the only forum empowered to resolve governance matters and urged that outstanding issues be brought before it. "For the past few days, mails from you have raised different issues. It is, therefore, requested that all issues may be compiled and put before the EB. "It is reiterated that the EB is the only competent body to resolve this. Please convene an Emergent EB meeting at the earliest," Bholanath wrote to HI president Dilip Tirkey.

Separately, Singh has sought an explanation from Director General Cdr. R.K. Srivastava over how internal Hockey India mails reached the media. "It has come to my notice that the contents of the mail sent by Dilip Tirkey has found place in the media... you are requested to investigate the matter. Questions regarding the jersey issue will only be discussed in the HI EB meeting," he wrote to Srivastava.

The correspondence demanding an emergent EB meeting and an inquiry into the leak followed a request from Tirkey for documentary backing of the decision to change the jersey colour. On the same day, Srivastava did not furnish the requested documents, despite a strongly worded reminder from Tirkey regarding that decision.

Singh’s letters place the matter squarely with the Executive Board and ask that all disputed items be compiled for its consideration. The immediate next step requested in the correspondence is the convening of an Emergent Executive Board meeting to address the issues raised, including the jersey-colour decision and the apparent leak of internal mails.