Bhubaneswar: A political row erupted over the state of hockey administration after BJD accused the BJP govt of failing to safeguard the state’s sporting identity following a show-cause notice issued by Hockey India to Hockey Association of Odisha (HAO).On Monday, former sports minister and BJD MLA Tusharkanti Behera alleged that Odisha hockey had reached national and international prominence during the tenure of former CM Naveen Patnaik, but is now facing a crisis. Hockey India has proposed reclassifying HAO from a permanent member to an associate member.Rejecting the allegation, BJP said the controversy stemmed from long-standing structural issues inherited from the previous govt. “The BJD is trying to politicise the matter. Hockey India notice relates to governance and election compliance issues within the Hockey Association of Odisha,” BJP spokesperson Sujit Kumar Das said.The show-cause notice issued by Hockey India cites concerns over the functioning of district hockey units, election-related records, governance compliance and the inability to conduct HAO elections scheduled for Oct 3. The notice asks HAO to explain why it should not be downgraded from a permanent member to an associate member.
