Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) President K P S Gill.
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New Delhi:
In a significant decision the Sports Minister M.S. Gill asked the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) president K.P.S. Gill to resign after a TV channel aired video clips showing the federation secretary-general K. Jothikumaran accepting bribes for taking a player in the national squad.
The minister said he would take action against corruption in the hockey federation even though Indian Olympic Association (IOA) called an emergency meeting to discuss the fallout of the incident.
In a statement the sports minister said that he completely believe in the situation. The IHF president must also introspect and review his position.
So taking to consideration of the situation facing Indian hockey and the national need, I urge him to consider withdrawing from his current responsibility, M S Gill said.
'It is time to let other Indians make an attempt to lift our hockey.'
Earlier a private TV channel in a sting operation Monday night showed Jothikumaran accepting money to include an unnamed player in the national team for the Sultan Azlan Shah tournament in Malaysia next month.
The channel showed Jothikumaran receiving Rs.200,000 in cash and then asking for Rs.300,000 more to be given to his 'man' in New Delhi in return for the favour. The channel claimed that the money was handed over to him in a hotel in New Delhi in two installments April 10 and 11.
The sports minister also said that he did not agree with the IHF president's statement that Jothikumaran could be reinstated if he is cleared of corruption charges.
Earlier the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) strongly condemned the incident and called for a meeting on next Monday to discuss corruption in the IHF.
Speaking to media persons IOA President Suresh Kalmadi said that an emergency meeting of the executive committee of IOA has been convened at 3 p.m. on Monday to look into this matter and take necessary action in the interest of sports.
The sting operation comes just a month after the Indian men's team failed to qualify for the Olympic Games for the first time in 80 years. India, which has won eight Olympic gold medals, failed to win a qualifying tournament in Chile last month to make it to the Beijing Olympics.
The sting operation also showed Jothikumaran taking the channel's investigation team members to K.P.S. Gill's Delhi residence and also the face of the IHF president talking animatedly. But there was no sound accompanying the pictures of Gill.
When contacted, IHF president K.P.S. Gill refused to comment on the issue. He said: 'I will not say anything at this moment. I will call a press conference in two-three days.'
