Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey on Friday shot off two separate emails to senior office-bearers and Government Board members, in search of a proof over the choice to vary the nationwide workforce’s conventional blue jersey to saffron for the upcoming FIH Hockey World Cup.
Within the emails, Tirkey, additionally a former India captain, stated the choice had been applied with out being positioned earlier than the Government Board or dropped at his discover, and directed officers to offer an in depth account of the way it was permitted.
The emails point out that the controversy has widened past public criticism, with Hockey India’s personal president formally questioning each the method and the authority behind probably the most important branding choices involving the nationwide workforce forward of a World Cup.
The event comes a day after The Indian Specific reported that the jersey change had been made with out consulting the gamers, with a number of members of the Indian workforce studying concerning the new design solely after it was offered to them earlier this week.
Within the first e-mail, despatched Friday morning and titled ‘Clarification Concerning Change in Indian Nationwide Workforce Jersey Color’, Tirkey wrote to Government Board members that the problem was not concerning the color itself however concerning the decision-making course of.
“I want to carry to your consideration the latest change within the color of the Indian nationwide workforce’s jersey. This resolution seems to have been taken and applied with out being positioned earlier than the Government Board for dialogue and with out my prior information.”
Indian hockey workforce gamers sport the brand new saffron jersey. (Photograph: Hockey India)
He added: “My concern will not be with the selection of saffron itself. Nonetheless, a choice of this significance, involving the identification and illustration of our nationwide workforce, ought to ideally have been mentioned with the elected management and the Government Board earlier than implementation.”
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Referring to the political debate triggered by the transfer, Tirkey stated: “The matter has since attracted appreciable media consideration and, sadly, political interpretation in sure quarters. With the World Cup approaching, I’ve publicly clarified that the change was purely a sporting resolution in order that the main focus stays on the workforce and its preparations.”
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He additionally revealed that the Odisha authorities had sought a proof from him.
“I’ve additionally been requested by the Authorities of Odisha to offer clarification relating to this matter. I due to this fact request the involved Hockey India officers to offer me with a written clarification on the earliest, outlining the premise for the choice, the method adopted, and the circumstances below which the change was permitted and applied.”
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Calling for higher transparency, Tirkey wrote that “important choices regarding the nationwide workforce are introduced earlier than the elected management and Government Board for due session and collective consideration,” including that the target was to make sure “transparency, accountability, and adherence to our established decision-making processes.”
In a second e-mail despatched later to Hockey India government director RK Srivastava, Tirkey instructed him to flow into an in depth word to all Government Board members by 5 pm on July 31.
The word, he stated, ought to clarify:
“the background and rationale for altering the standard color of the Indian Nationwide Workforce jersey”;
“the authority below which the choice was taken”;
“the method adopted in arriving on the resolution, together with the officers, committees or different individuals concerned”;
“whether or not any session was undertaken with the President, the Government Board, present gamers, coaches, former worldwide gamers or different related stakeholders”;
and “the explanation why neither the President nor the Government Board was knowledgeable or consulted previous to the general public announcement.”
The World Cup is scheduled to happen within the Netherlands and Belgium from August 15 to 30.
