Narinder Batra Quits As International Hockey Federation President, IOA Chief

New Delhi: Narinder Batra resigned as International Hockey Federation (FIH) president and also gave up his membership of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Monday, PTI reported.

Batra also tendered his resignation as president of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

In three separate letters, Batra officially tendered his resignations from the FIH, IOC and IOA. He cited personal reasons for stepping down.

The development comes in the backdrop of the FIH planning to write to the Committee of Administrators (CoA), which governs Hockey India, asking it to conduct elections to the governing body and avoid “jeopardising” the 2023 Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup in Odisha.

“FIH will send an official communication to the Committee of Administrators of Hockey India with a request to have elections for India’s hockey governing body held as soon as possible, in order not to jeopardise the upcoming FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup scheduled in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela in January 2023,” the FIH stated on Saturday.

Batra ceased to be the IOA president when the Delhi High Court on May 25 struck down the post of ‘life member’ of Hockey India, on the basis of which he had contested the IOA elections and won in 2017.

The Delhi HC had placed Hockey India under a three-member CoA.

The HC ruling came on a petition filed by former India player Aslam Sher Khan, who had challenged Batra’s appointment as a ‘life member’ of Hockey India.