Narinder Batra has resigned as the president of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) and International Olympic Committee (IOC) member according to a report in the Outlook.
Batra, who had been re-elected to the post in May 2021 for a second term, cited personal reasons for his resignation from the FIH and the IOC.
The 65-year-old had been removed as the president of the Indian Olympic Association by the Delhi High Court in May 2022. The HC had struck down Batra’s post of ‘life member’ in Hockey India which enabled him to contest and win the IOA elections in 2017.
“The Government of India cannot grant recognition to a NSF whose constitution is not in consonance with the Sports Code. The posts of Life President, Life Member in the NSF are illegal so is the post of CEO in the Managing Committee. These posts are struck-down,” the Delhi HC said.
The High Court also placed Hockey India under a Committee of Administrators after ruling that the governing body had violated the sports code through Batra’s involvement.
Following his ouster from the IOA, Batra announced his “resignation” from the Olympic body saying that he needed to focus more on his job as the FIH chief.
“At a time when world hockey is going through an essential development phase, with the promotion of Hockey5s, the creation of a new competition this year – the FIH Hockey Nations Cup – and the launch of fan-engaging platforms and activities, my role as president of the FIH requires more time,” Batra had said following his resignation as IOA president.
In the 2021 FIH presidential elections, Batra emerged victorious winning 63 votes to the 61 votes polled by Belgium Hockey Federation chief Marc Coudron.
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