While expressing concern over the standard of field hockey falling to an "abysmal low" in the country, the Indian Supreme Court said that politicians and businessmen heading sports bodies "are causing harm to the games and should leave their running to sportpersons," according to the PTI. In "stinging remarks" on the state of affairs in sporting bodies, the apex court said it is a "sad commentary" that people who are the administrators of the game have nothing to do with sports and they run the bodies at the cost of the game. A bench comprising justices T. S. Thakur and J. Chelameshwar said, "Sports are run by private individual persons. Private individuals are controling the games in India. Can the game be held hostage by private interest?" The court was hearing a plea filed by the Indian Hockey Federation, which is at loggerheads with its rival Hockey India, seeking stay on the proceeding initiated by the Int'l Hockey Federation "to find out which of them is to be recognised to represent the country at international events." The bench added, "Government is unable to control the sport societies and you (bodies) keep fighting. Is there any federation which is not fighting legal battles in courts? In no other country such litigations are witnessed for controling the games" (PTI, 12/5).
