An Opportunity For Change

Yesterday the President of the FIH Narinder Dhruv Batra resigned from his position as head of the world sport. He did the honourable thing.

Faced with yet another court case in India, and having the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raid his houses just hours after his resignation, he clearly did the right thing for the sport.

In April, the CBI had launched a preliminary inquiry against Batra for alleged misappropriation of Hockey India funds. Last night the investigating agency announced that ‘incriminating documents/records’ had been uncovered in the raids they carried out. As a result cases were registered against Mr Batra as well as former Hockey India president Rajinder Singh, ex-secretary general Mohammad Mushtaque Ahmad who went on to become the organisation’s president, and former executive director RK Srivastava ‘for committing illegalities for renovation and furnishing of the office of IOA president in 2018.’

There will always be question marks over whether Mr Batra was pushed or resigned of his own volition. He did not attend the FIH Executive Board meeting in Terrassa, Spain on Friday, when the legal situation he finds himself in was to be discussed.

Some are asking why did he not resign prior to that meeting so that the Executive Board could have appointed an Interim President then. Now a meeting of the Executive Board will have to be organised as soon as possible to appoint an Interim replacement.

HIs resignation following the Executive Board meeting has many speculating that the vote went against him, and the Board requested his resignation. One insider claims that this was not the case with most of the board happy to wait until his next pending Court case in India before making such a decision. This is in spite of the High Court of India ruling that “The illegal Post of Life President or Life Member cannot be the stepping-stone for any other position or benefit elsewhere, be it nationally (including in the Indian Olympic Association) or in international bodies. If R-3 has so benefitted, then such benefit or position shall end right away.” R-3 in the court documents referred to the defendant Mr Narinder Dhruv Batra.

If this is true they should hang their heads in shame, as the Executive Board should at all times put the health and reputation of the sport ahead of all individuals. That is why they are appointed. By holding off on such an important decision they put the sport at risk of more bad publicity.

Luckily Mr Batra did what was right. Some will say he had no choice, and that may be the case, but he still did the honourable thing.

There can be no doubt that Mr Batra has done a great deal for Indian Hockey. He picked the sport up following the demise of the Indian Hockey Federation, he created the Hockey India League, which as many in India have stated benefitted players across the world as well as in India. This competition definitely paid dividends for Indian Hockey as their performances on the International stage after failing to qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games went from strength to strength.

Some will argue that he was too quick to sack his national coaches, but interestingly that in many cases may also have played a part in the Indian men’s team medalling for the first time in 41 years at the Tokyo Olympic Games. As many of the players have openly admitted that they picked up and learnt key aspects from the various coaches that had gone before. The Women’s team also rose to unprecedented heights, much of this again linked to the right appointment when it came to the coach.

Mr Batra was a key component of the deal that was brokered with Star Sports to become the broadcast partner of the FIH and also Hockey India. The station invested heavily in the sport to start with, and also innovated in the way it was covered. However, where this relationship faltered was a lack of marketing to support the coverage from Hockey India and the FIH.

Where this coverage helped Indian Hockey, apart from having the sport back on mainstream television was part of the agreement saw India host key tournaments. This was a win/win situation as not only did the country host the event, but it also meant the team picked up valuable World Ranking points to see it climb the rankings. (The Sore Points of Hosting)

The sad thing was he could not take his hand off the tiller once he moved up to the Presidency of the FIH, and that ultimately was his downfall.

Whether Mr Batra had the impact that he hoped or promised at the FIH is questionable.

At his election in 2016 he said “I would like to take hockey across the globe, extend the boundaries. If you want to grow and you want hockey to remain in the Olympics hockey has to spread and nowadays everything is calculated in terms of how much is your viewership. How much you earn out of it. Which I call reach and revenue. Reach means expand your boundaries, we can’t restrict ourselves to Top 10 or 12. It has to spread and spread across the globe.”

Many will argue that the disbanding of the Hockey World League which was open to far more of the FIH members was a step backwards. The continuation of the FIH Pro League, which was a concept that Mr Batra inherited, has in fact gone against his goals for the sport. It is limited to less than the top ten teams, and has excluded other nations, especially with the new World Ranking points system, as it benefits those playing in the Pro League and disadvantages those outside of it. As Mr Batra said, viewership determines what you earn. Yet to gain viewership you have to promote and market your competitions. The production quality on the coverage of the Pro League of late has been detrimental to the sport, as has the format.

The fact that some non-hockey people did not realise that the Women’s Hockey World Cup was actually a World Cup and not just the Pro League shows how much work needs to be done in this space.

Mr Batra also for reasons that maybe only he knows was determined to push ahead with Hockey Fives, a format many in the sport feel it does not need. If it has to be there then it should be used purely for promotional purposes. ( High Fives – If Used Properly) To have a Hockey Fives World Cup is diluting the sport and creating more international players, and thus reducing the honour attached to being selected for your country. The scores in this format have not levelled the playing field, and if the leading nations do decide to take it seriously they will, due to the finances available most likely dominate. If this was supposed to take the sport to more people the question is how? When it is still being played on an artificial turf, still being played outside, so weather will have an impact on the fan experience, and the goals and side boards are expensive to purchase. Promoting and investing in indoor hockey would have been a far wiser move. However, ultimately is this all because of the Los Angeles Games in 2028? (Coming Full Circle) Was India’s enthusiasm for Fives linked to its hopes of claiming the first Olympic Fives Gold medal?

One of the main issues during Mr Batra’s Presidency was the hosting of The FIH Congress at a hotel that his family had ownership connections. Not only that, but in 2016 after being announced the new President of the FIH, he stated to all in attendance “What we intend to do in India is that we are going to offer all the member countries, when we say all I mean all 139 country members, two rooms, one double and one single as complimentary full board, which means including your breakfast and dinner along with four pieces of laundry each day, to see that, to ensure that the family stays together.” The minute that all of the member countries accepted such an offer they were all at fault.

For they were now in a position where their integrity and independence was compromised. This is in spite of the words uttered by Mr Batra prior to those quoted above when he said “Now, since I don’t have any conflict of interest, if with your permission President and CEO, I don’t think I have any conflict of interest, so I would like to make an announcement.” Then followed the offer of free accommodation.

This was clearly a conflict of interest, but no one spoke up which makes all complicit. Silence and ignorance at this level of Governance carries no weight as an excuse.

Following the recent Board meeting despite Hockey India not having a current constitution, the FIH Board still did not suspend their team from international competition until such time as a new constitution is approved. (Money Talks. Does that Explain the Silence) Instead according to the UK and Indian press, they simply requested the Committee of Administrators appointed by the High Court to quickly create a constitution or the nation risks losing the hosting of the Men’s World Cup.

With this event due to start in January 2023, and bearing in mind that it was awarded to India because they offered the most financial benefit to the FIH, when it would appear the organisation is desperate for money, is this really a threat that is going to be taken seriously? Five months out can they honestly afford to move the location? What would the FIH open themselves up to legally, especially as India has built a new stadium in Rourkela specifically for the tournament? Hopefully they read through the contracts at the meeting and worked out the possible cost of moving the tournament.

The Executive Board must reconvene at this point in time to appoint an Interim President up until Congress, which is again due to take place virtually on 4th and 5th November this year. The question is will there now be a push from the member associations to convene an Extraordinary Meeting of Congress? With only one fifth (1/5) of all full Members required to sign such a request and outline the agenda points this is now a reality.

This would be good governance of the sport as who knows what the fall out may be from the investigations in India, and whether they may end up embroiling individuals in Switzerland where the FIH is based. If one looks at the unravelling of the FIFA empire, that all started with one person, who was a long way away from Switzerland. The late Chuck Blazer was compelled to inform for the FBI and IRS as he was facing charges associated to his time in football which included wire fraud, income tax evasion, and money laundering. He helped the FBI accumulate much of the evidence that brought down key members of FIFA’s Executive Board.

With rumours that another Executive Board member is allegedly being investigated by another authority it is essential that the Member Associations request full disclosure from the current board, and possibly request the resignation of some.

Moving forward the FIH Statutes will need to be amended and key points need to be addressed. First and foremost a clear definition of what a conflict of interest is so that there are no grey areas. That all Executive Board members no longer be permitted to hold positions with National bodies while serving on the Executive Board. Once appointed they must resign.

The current statutes state quite clearly that “All members of the Executive Board (except for the Presidents of the CFs) shall hold such office in their personal capacity and not as representatives of any Member or any other organisation.”

Why has this not been adhered to? Many were aware of the former President still having a hand on the tiller of Indian Hockey so why did none speak up?

The Statutes go on to state “The President and Presidents of the Continental Federations shall within thirty (30) days of election retire from (and during the term of office shall not accept) any executive office or other position (not including honorary or ex-officio positions) within any NA or CF. During the term as 12 President, the President shall have no direct or indirect involvement in the day to day operations of an NA or CF.” (National Association and Confederation)

Is it time that the Presidents of the various Confederations no longer have a place on the Executive Board? Should they be invited to attend Executive Board meetings as observers rather than as elected members? They can then be invited to contribute when required, but no longer have voting rights.

As witnessed with FIFA, having them as voting members of the Executive Board can lead to Confederations being influenced to vote en bloc to ensure that certain candidates are elected. As we saw with FIFA, all manner of rewards were given to these confederations, such as regular hosting rights to Youth World Cups and the like. Hockey should learn from the FIFA situation and do all it can to stop similar influence happening.

Should the election process be opened up? Currently to stand for the Executive Board candidates “must be nominated by the Member for the Country of which they are a citizen.” Is it time that Hockey widened the net? Having only people from within the sport does not appear to have managed to elevate the sport to where the game itself should be. Maybe now is the time to invite nominations for the Executive Board and see if we can bring in individuals with World experience in the key areas required that can carry the sport forward. People who understand what a conflict of Interest is, and have no ties to a sponsor or a national association?

If an Extraordinary Meeting of Congress is to be called one agenda item has to be why there has been no Financial Report for the past three years. There should also be full disclosure as to which National Associations have questioned why there has been no financial reports. Also, if as has been claimed there was a loan made to the FIH by the International Olympic Committee what was the value of that loan and what are the repayment arrangements?

Having made enquiries with legal expects in European law Not The Footy Show has been advised that, as in most countries the individuals on the Executive Board can be individually held financially responsible if they have been party to a decision that has resulted in the organisation making a financial loss which otherwise could have been avoided.

This was, we were advised in spite of the Indemnity clause within the Statutes, which reads as follows: “Every member of the Executive Board, every member of a committee or working group, the Disciplinary Commissioner, every member of the Judicial Commission, every person appointed by the FIH to perform a special assignment, the CEO and every employee, every official and every officer of the FIH shall be indemnified by the FIH in respect of any claim (whether civil or criminal) that is made against the member and/or any liability that he incurs as a result of office or the exercise of powers or the execution of duties, whether or not judgment is given in favour or the member is acquitted, provided that the member has acted at all times in good faith.”

Although our legal advisors did state that with Executive Board members of International organisations coming from various nations across the world it can be very difficult to prosecute the individuals, and also extremely costly. We were told that usually the individuals step down and the organisation opts to take the loss on the chin and avoid adverse publicity. Which is understandable, but far from comforting.

Of course until the financial reports are published it is very hard to know exactly what state the sport is in. In his election promise MR Batra made the point that with ‘more reach’ the revenue coming into the sport would increase.

We are seeing more hockey on television, but it is quality and not quantity that drives revenue when it comes to sport on television. As for making money out of your own platform that takes a huge investment and unfortunately hockey is not likely to be in a position to derive sustainable income from their Watch Hockey App now or in the near future.

Mr Batra stated in his pre-election speech, “Football is supporting its member countries, cricket is supporting, till now we are not in hockey. If I get the chance I will make it clear that Hockey has to spend.” Is that the promise that he will ultimately be judged on in time?

Are the nations outside the top ten in a better place now than when he assumed the position of the FIH? Has the increased coverage resulted in more revenue for all member associations?

One cannot dispute that he helped turn Indian hockey around and make them a force again on the International stage, but one feels that Mr Batra found the International stage far more challenging and restrictive. He has new challenges awaiting him, and his departure undoubtedly leaves a raft of challenges for whoever replaces him, but more importantly for the sport itself.

With the FIH’s centenary just two years away and fears that eleven-a-side hockey at the Olympic Games is still under threat, there are clearly many challenges ahead. How do you bring in sponsors and sign partnership deals of value when such rumours about the future of your flagship game continue to circulate?

There is a certain irony in the timing, in that the Hockey was denied Olympic status at the Paris Olympic Games of 1924, having been contested in 1908,1912 and 1920. The reason was said to have been because of the lack of an international sporting structure. The President of the Federation de Francaise Hockey, Paul Leautey obtained support from six other European Associations and set up the Federation Internationale de Hockey on the 7th of January 1924. Despite not wanting team sports as part of the Olympic Games – with the exception of football – and the fact that the nations that made up the FIH accounted for only around 2% of those playing Hockey at the time, as the Netherlands and Great Britain did not become members, the IOC accepted Hockey back as an Olympic Sport.

Surely with such an imminent anniversary in the offing a lack of structure will not again hold the sport back? The next few months and the decisions made could be the most important the sport has made in the past 98 years. Let us hope that those trusted to get it right are the right people and they make the best decisions for the future of the sport.