Hockey India’s turmoil: Gold medals mask growing administrative crisis

With processes and systems seemingly in disarray, administrators bickering and even the sports ministry trying to unravel the imbroglio, the core reason Hockey India exists remains unchanged: the players continue to do what they are paid and trained to do – play, win and bring back silverware.

It is not an ideal environment for performance sports. Still, across age groups, the senior men’s and women’s teams performed as they stood in the eye of the storm. They return to a federation led by an uncaring president who is largely absent from the tournament sidelines and absent from the airfield. when the teams return with gold from the Asian Games.

In his place stands the general secretary, operating under a thick cloud of criticism. Accused of securing a fourth consecutive term as Jharkhand Hockey chief in defiance of constitutional caps and facing accusations of abuse from the former women’s national captain, he remains the visible face of the executive board at places where he distributes felicitations. The Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams returned home with gold medals from the 2026 Asian Games. (Photo: AP, Reuters)

At the Delhi airport, it was two-time world champion and selection committee chairman RP Singh who waited in the terminal building to receive the men’s team after their gold medal run.

“First, we won the gold from the Asian Gamesand the players deserved a grand welcome,” RP said matter-of-factly.

A day earlier in Bengaluru, RP were at it again, welcoming the women’s team after their historic podium finish, their first Asian Games gold in 44 years. Highlighting the milestone, he added, “The girls performed extremely well and we were most impressed with how they handled the pressure and served as a team. Their success, India’s first Asian Games gold in women’s hockey since 1982, also ensured direct qualification for the Los Angeles Olympics.”

THE PRESIDENT AWAY FROM THE FIELD

Inside the federation, president Dilip Tirkey, the legendary 2004 Olympic captain who epitomizes player-led governance, spends time lobbying central ministers, government officials and corporate sponsors to protect his position and save the struggling Hockey India League (HIL).

Nothing wrong with that, most would argue. But it also came at a direct cost: isolation from the very community he once led. Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey and General Secretary Bholanath Singh. (Photo: India Today, PTI)

When Dilip Tirkey assumed the presidency, the move was hailed as the paradigm shift the sport so badly needed. Tirkey, an iconic defender with more than 400 international caps, was expected to bring an athlete-focused clarity to the proceedings. Instead, the bureaucratic machinery of the Sports Authority of India swallowed the office whole.

Tirkey quickly found himself mired in legal challenges, executive board disputes and high pressure to revive the Indian Hockey League. As structural problems mounted, corporate sponsors continued to hesitate, forcing the president into the endless corridors of power in New Delhi to secure financial guarantees. The higher he got into institutional lobbying, the further he got off the ball. Ruling in the very sport he once led in the Olympics was challenging. At the same time, staying away from India’s hockey office in New Delhi and failing to communicate and understand the basic requirements of the sport further alienated him.

BHOLANATH SINGH FILLS THE VACUUM

Meanwhile, general secretary Bholanath Singh, a former wrestler, coach and former WFI vice-president, used Tirkey’s absence to operational advantage, although many would argue that he was doing exactly what a general secretary would do. Using his experience in wrestling administration and state-level political machinery, he built a transactional network within the federation.

Despite vocal objections to his stint in Jharkhand at the state level and a public clash with former players like Asunta Lakra, his hands-on approach to immediate team requisitions has earned him influence over the current players.

Addressing the team’s mental strength and keeping the team focused in the midst of chaos, he stated, “First of all, I want to tell you that we will not let any external factor control our players or the team. I personally make sure that the players focus only on their game and performance. The result of that is before us all today as our men’s and women’s teams made history by winning gold medals.”

The general secretary dismissed the turbulence surrounding the federation, saying, “When it comes to the negative press surrounding the recent developments in Hockey India, I would certainly like to say that the country may be shaking, but the processes we have put in place at all levels in Hockey India are not shaking. As the general secretary, it is my duty to address every issue and put the interests of our players and teams above all else.”

Inside the Hockey India offices, and even with the senior and junior teams looking to Tirkey not just for answers but for support, it created an awkward operational reality: an iconic former captain sidelined by politics and a controversial administrator managing day-to-day affairs at the ground.

“At least he (Bholanath) is listening to us,” remarked one senior international official on condition of anonymity. “If we need to fix equipment or logistics, he will deliver. We haven’t seen or spoken to the president since these internal battles began.”

WHEN FEDERATION POLITICS OVERFLOWS

It is never easy for a team to dance around the chaos in Hockey India. Between cross-accusations, court cases, looming legal threats and debates about jersey changes, the boardroom soap opera was in full swing. There was even a former captain and teammate who took to social media with heavy sarcasm: “Don’t worry, the World Cup doesn’t matter. The Asian Games are coming. Win a gold medal there and that’s enough to cover everything that went wrong at the World Cup.” To top it all off, the president filed a police complaint against four representatives of the federation. It was sports administration like high theater.

The truth is that players are never truly isolated from the noise. They are human and they react like humans. “Will it all get to us and affect our performance?” several players reacted behind closed doors.

Failing to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup and finishing in 8th place would have had an adverse effect on the team’s performance at the Asian Games, which many felt had to be played in a matter of weeks, flying from Holland to India and then, after recalibrating, to Nagoya – never an easy process.

Commenting on the turnaround, Bholanath said, “The dominance of the men’s team in Asia is no secret, but recovering from the disappointing World Cup results was a psychological battle for them. I personally met the captain, players and coaches and told them that while we are all disappointed, this is not the time to get involved and none of this will be necessary for us to defend our Olympics in Los Angeles. Entering the field was a mental affair that we all won by that we sat down, talked and concentrated.’

Asked directly about the firestorm in Hockey India, the general secretary asked, “Whatever you have seen in the media in the last few days, what is being referred to as warfare in Hockey India, I want to ask you: have you ever seen me go to the media and not have to speak out or create controversy? Whether it was the saffron jersey issue or any incident after that: I kept my main task of the Asia Cup ahead of me. As part of the leadership of Hockey India it was my duty not to do anything to distract the players, if anyone in Hockey India does that, I don’t think it is right and it is overlooking the interests of the sport that has given us so much.

HOW THE PLAYERS KEEP BALANCE

When a national federation breaks down, the ripple effects usually hit the pitch, right into the players’ laps. Selection meetings become political battlegrounds and camp coordination breaks down. That this meltdown hasn’t yet destroyed the national team’s momentum is largely due to a system that flips a switch when stress seeps off the field.

RP believes it is a collective effort. “This achievement is the result of a collective effort and not the work of any individual or group. Hockey India, the government, the coaching staff and the players have all put in sincere efforts and contributed to this campaign.”

! Hear captain Harmanpreet Singh share his thoughts after the historic gold medal triumph in Aichi-Nagoya! #HockeyIndia #IndiaKaGame #AsianGames2026 #AichiNagoya2026 Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) October 4, 2026

Yet beneath the glitter of Asian Games gold and the LA 28 qualifiers, administrative struggles are impacting the commercial and developmental health of Indian hockey. At the center of the tug-of-war is the Hockey India League. Conceived as a financial and tactical hotbed for Indian talent, the restart of the league has been repeatedly delayed by friction over franchises, broadcast negotiations and executive board disputes over commercial rights.

INDIAN HOCKEY LEAGUE AND GRASSROOTS

While top bosses waste energy on corporate pitches and political survival, domestic tournaments suffer, forcing junior players to rely on institutional staff teams rather than thriving domestic leagues to stay active.

Senior national teams continue to win medals on the strength of central camps and foreign exposure tours. But below that top layer, the ecosystem runs on fumes. Inside the Center of Excellence at SAI Bengaluru, the atmosphere is purposely separate from the federation headquarters. Foreign coaches, physical trainers and senior players built a protective border around the team. The Hockey India League remains mired in commercial uncertainty and administrative disputes. (Photo: PTI)

“If you start worrying about what’s going on in the HI office and how it all affects the coaches and players, your performance on the field will go down,” admitted the senior men’s team standout. “Our job is to take goals on the pitch, take penalty corners and stay fit.”

Notably, players have learned to treat administrative chaos more like persistent background noise than a crisis. Elite players usually don’t wait for federation officials to come to an agreement; instead, they adjust their own preparation.

WILL THE MINISTRY OF SPORTS INTERVENE?

The Sports Ministry and Sports Authority of India (SAI) remain vigilant observers. While the ministry has the power to issue warnings or threaten to withdraw recognition for breaches of the sporting code, full action carries the risk of international suspension by the International Ice Hockey Federation (FIH). As a result, government authorities maintain a policy of prudent monitoring – funding national camps and exposure tours directly through SAI while allowing Hockey India’s internal political war to play out.

But will it?

It’s a familiar intersection. International silver, Olympic podiums, Asian Games gold medals and dominance on the continent prove that the core members of the team have world-class talent and the required toughness.

However, constant competition within an administrative mess is not a sustainable long-term strategy. A federation cannot function indefinitely with a president isolated from his players and an executive structure dependent on transactional politics. Until Hockey India restores constitutional clarity, fixes the executive and protects its core pipeline, its international victories will remain achievements recorded in spite of the system, rather than because of it.

Note: The writer reached out to President Dilip Tirkey via Hockey India for comment but did not receive a response.

– The end