IHF accepts Jothikumaran's resignation

New Delhi, Apr 22 (UNI) The Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) today accepted its Secretary General K Jothikumaran's resignation following a sting operation in which he was caught in camera accepting money for selecting a player in the national squad.

''We have accepted his resignation. I am out of Delhi right now.

When I return, we will look in to the matter and take stock of the whole situation,'' IHF chief K P S Gill said.

Earlier yesterday, a news channel aired videos in which Jothikumaran was shown accepting Rs two lakh for inducting a player in the team for the Azlan Shah hockey tournament in Malaysia next month.

Jothikumaran, who has been the IHF General Secretary for close to 15 years, also took a promise of another Rs three lakh to be delivered to his man here.

However, Jothikumaran has dismissed all the accusations saying that he had accepted the money as it was for a proposal to conduct a big tournament in India.

''At no point of time did I raise anything about selection. I believed that a proposal for conducting a big tournament on the lines of Azlan Shah tournament was being debated with me by the reporters,'' Jothikumaran said.

''The money they allege that I had taken was in my opinion to meet the initial expenses for organising the event in India on the same lines of Azlan Shah tournament,'' he added.

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