New Delhi: The Orissa High Court Friday stayed the Hockey India elections scheduled for December 5 and the federation’s show-cause notice to Hockey Odisha, which had proposed its reclassification from a permanent member to an associate member. A single-judge bench of Justice RK Pattnaik passed the interim order while hearing a writ petition filed by Hockey Association of Odisha challenging the minutes of Hockey India’s 120th Executive Body meeting held October 6 and the show-cause notice issued October 7, 2026. The next hearing will be held December 9. Hockey India had issued a show-cause notice to the Hockey Association of Odisha proposing its reclassification from a permanent member to an associate member over alleged non-compliance with the national federation’s bye-laws October 7. The national federation had raised eight grounds of concern, including what it described as serious deficiencies in the functioning of HAO’s 30 district units.
According to the federation, key positions such as president and secretary in all 30 district associations are held ex officio by administrative officials, including District Magistrates and Sub-Collectors, instead of being filled through elections. Hockey India also said none of the district units had submitted election notices, minutes or results to establish that their governing bodies had been constituted through a legitimate electoral process. The state association contended that the show-cause notice was legally unsustainable as the term of the current Executive Committee of Hockey India had already expired September 30. Amid internal infighting, Hockey India’s election to select its office bearers for the 2026 2030 term was scheduled to be held December 5.
During the hearing, Odisha Advocate General P Acharya also drew the court’s attention to the sponsorship agreement and the contribution of the Odisha government to Indian hockey. Since 2018, Odisha has been the official sponsor of India’s senior and junior men’s and women’s national teams, and the state has committed to continuing its support until 2036.
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The court issued notices to Hockey India, directing it to file the necessary requisites within seven days. The court order comes amid an escalating power struggle within Hockey India between president Dilip Tirkey, former Rajya Sabha member from Odisha, and secretary general Bhola Nath Singh, with differences over administrative decisions, governance and the conduct of executive committee meetings threatening to overshadow the federation’s functioning. The rift between the two senior officials first came into the open following the controversial change of the Indian teams’ jersey colour from traditional blue to saffron ahead of the FIH World Cup in August.
