Narinder Batra’s Term As FIH President Extended After Annual Congress Gets Postponed
After official announcement of extension of his tenure as president of the International Hockey Federation (FIH), Narinder Batra said he is looking forward to working with national associations to organise many tournaments once lockdowns are eased.
International Hockey Federation (FIH) President Narinder Batra’s term at the top of the global body was extended till May next year after its annual congress was postponed due to the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The Congress was due to commence on October 28 in New Delhi. The decision to postpone the Congress came when the FIH Executive Board met online to take a decision on the matter.
“The exact date will be confirmed as soon as possible,” the FIH said in a statement. The postponement also means all FIH current office-bearers are going to have extended terms.
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“Consequently, the current terms of the FIH President and of the EB members which were due to end in October 2020 have been prolonged until the upcoming Congress in May 2021 and the subsequent terms for these positions will be shortened accordingly (mid-2021 to 2024) on an exceptional basis,” the world body said.
Women Executive Board members — Danae Andrada (URU), Hazel Kennedy (ZAM); Men EB members — Erik Cornelissen (NED) and Tayyab Ikram (MAC) have also got an extension in their respective terms.
Back in April the FIH had informed all 137 National Associations about a potential change of dates for the Congress.
“This decision, made due to the current uncertainties following the globl Covid-19 pandemic, is based on Article 12.1 of the FIH Statutes, covering cases of force majeure,” the FIH said.
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“Despite the current challenging times for most organisations, FIH has kept working hard to pursue its mission of developing hockey worldwide,” Batra said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to the numerous tournaments and competitions ahead of us, which we are preparing with full dedication and passion with all National Associations involved.”
“I am also very pleased with the success of the online courses which FIH is delivering; this is great for the future of our sport,” Batra added. “It is encouraging as well to see that hockey has resumed in some countries, of course with protective measures for the participants’ welfare.”
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