In response to the email, Dilip Tirkey lashed out on Bhola Nath for calling an emergency meeting despite holding the position of secretary
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Hockey India President DrDilip Kumar Tirkey addresses during the Hockey India 8th Annual Awards 2025, in New Delhi on Friday, March 27, 2026(Photo: IANS/Deepak Kumar)
Amid the on-going controversies surrounding the Indian Hockey federation, an emergent Executive Board meeting has been called on Friday, September 18 to resolve the issues and all the differences between their top officialsRestructuring the Hockey India League and forming an independent Governing Council to run the competition is also among the agendas that will be discussed in the meet.
Moreover, all is not going well between Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey and secretary Bhola Nath Singh, who have had several disagreements, including the change in the Indian team’s jersey’s primary colour from Blue to Orange.
This issue sparked a massive row between the board officials with Dilip Tirkey claiming that the colour of the jersey was changed without his and other Hockey India Executive Board members’ approvalThe Indian team even played the recently concluded FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 in Belgium and Netherlands wearing the new jersey.
However, Dilip Tirkey went on to subsequently send a show-cause notice to the federation’s Director General Cdr R K Srivastava and took all his powers with immediate effect along with placing a total of eight charges, including the jersey change issue.
The show-cause notice issued by Dilip Tirkey gave R K Srivastava four weeks to respond and upon seeing these turn of events, federation secretary Bhola Nath Singh called for an emergent Executive Board Meeting.
In an e-mail accessed by PTI, Bhola Nath confirmed that the 119th board meeting will take place on Friday, September 18 from 3:00PM onwards.
“On the advice/direction of the Hockey India President, Dr Dilip Tirkey, received via email dated 14.09.2026, the Emergent – 119th Executive Board Meeting of Hockey India will be held at 15:00 hrs on 18.09.2026 at the Hockey India Office, New Delhi,” Bhola Nath wrote in an e-mail to Executive Board members, a copy of which is in possession of PTI.
Dilip Tirkey lashes out on Bhola Nath
In response to the email, Dilip Tirkey lashed out on Bhola Nath for calling an emergency meeting despite holding the position of secretaryTirkey wrote on his reply that as per clause (16.4.2), only the President has the right to call for a meeting, not the Secretary General.
“With reference to your email, please be informed that the by-law, as approved by HI on 20th June 2026, clearly states in the clause (16.4.2) that only the President can call an emergency meeting, not the Secretary General,” Tirkey wrote in his response to Bhola Nath and Executive Board members.
Tirkey also said that unless the Director General submits an explanation, there will be no emergency board meeting“Also be informed, I am very clear in my direction to you in my earlier communications unless the DG submits his explanation, no EB meeting will be held,”
Dilip Tirkey further asked the Hockey India officials to refrain from disobeying his orders and that the action taken by him are only for the betterment of Indian Hockey.
“Once again, I request you to refrain from disobeying the Chair of President Hockey India and instead spreading your own decisions and judgments to the other members and creating confusionThe action taken by me are purely for the betterment of hockey, instead of any betterment of some individual and their personal interest,” the mail concluded.
(With PTI inputs)
