Indian hockey has stumbled upon its worst period with the Indian Hockey Federation Secretary (IHF) K Jothikumaran caught red-handed, for accepting bribe to get a player included in the senior team, in a sting operation done by a news channel.
First it was the historical Olympic qualifier debacle that rocked the whole country and now the one of its kind bribery incident for getting a player selected into the team by the second most influential person in nation’s hockey body.
This is really an intimidating blow to the game of hockey that is already beleaguered and struggling to find its feet in the country despite having a golden history. Jothikumaran has been enjoying IHF’s secretary post for the last 14 years and fingers have also been raised in subdued tone in the past.
IHF Secy. has been exposed by a news channel's sting operation as he was clearly shown accepting money to get a player selected for the next month’s Azlan Shah Cup to be held at Kuala Lumpur.
Jothikumaran resigned after Union sports minister M.S. Gill intervened and asked him to step down. “This is really shameful and I have no words to condemn it,” said the IHF president KPS Gill while reacting to channel’s sting operation.
According to the channel transcripts, Jothikumaran was claimed receiving a cash amount of Rs two lakhs and with a further promise of another Rs three lakhs to be given later in Delhi.
In the whole operation Jothikumaran gave his word to the channel’s person to get their man selected for the senior hockey team. The bribe money was given to him in a five star hotel in two installments on April 10 and 11 in Delh.
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