Kerala HC Enables Player Participation Amidst Kerala Hockey Suspension
In a significant development, the Kerala High Court has provided clarity regarding its earlier decision to suspend the recognition of Kerala Hockey, ensuring that players are not barred from participating in national tournaments. This ruling came in response to concerns following the court’s judgment on April 1, which addressed governance issues within Kerala Hockey.
The Division Bench, comprising Justice Sathish Ninan and Justice P Krishna Kumar, confirmed that a technical committee established under their prior judgment will continue to handle player selections. The names of these selected players can be forwarded to Hockey India under the Kerala Hockey banner, thus allowing players to compete at the national level. This clarification was issued while reviewing petitions filed by Hockey India and Kerala Hockey challenging the April 1 verdict.
The court’s April 1 decision centered on a series of appeals that questioned the validity of amendments to the bye-laws of Kerala Hockey, the legitimacy of its elections, and the extent of powers held by the Kerala State Sports Council under the Kerala Sports Act, 2000. The court had determined that while the sports council could investigate election irregularities per Section 31A of the Act, it lacked authority to dissolve the society or conduct elections via an ad hoc committee. Consequently, the court suspended Kerala Hockey’s recognition, pending further proceedings under Section 31A(2) of the Act, which mandates a hearing for the sports organization before any withdrawal of recognition.
Concerns had been raised post the April 1 ruling regarding its impact on players’ eligibility for national tournaments, given that Hockey India only accepts player nominations from affiliated state associations. With Kerala Hockey’s recognition suspended, there was uncertainty over the process for submitting player names, leading to the court’s recent clarification.
Hockey India had argued that the technical committee, established by the Kerala State Sports Council, faced practical challenges in directly submitting player names due to the suspension. The court addressed this by ruling that while the technical committee would handle player selections, the formal submission to Hockey India would be under the Kerala Hockey banner.
More Read
Meanwhile, Kerala Hockey’s review petition sought reconsideration of the court’s assertion linking its earlier loss of affiliation to financial irregularities, claiming a lack of supporting evidence. However, the court upheld its initial finding, citing available materials on record.
Legal representation for Kerala Hockey was provided by Senior Counsel Dr. KP Satheesan, with advocates P Mohandas, K Sudhinkumar, Sabu Pullan, R Bhaskara Krishnan, and Bharath Mohan. State Attorney Anoop V Nair represented the state, while Senior Counsel Joseph Kodiyanthara, assisted by Advocates Raghul Sudheesh, J Lakshmi, Ambily T Venu, Rachel Mary Jacob, Athulya Vaishnavi, and Kallyani Menon, appeared for Hockey India.
[Read Order]
More Read
[Read April 1 Judgment]
