Hockey scandal: R S Members demand dissolution of IHF

New Delhi, Apr 22 (UNI) Expressing concern over ''commodification of sports'', the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha today demanded that the India Hockey Federation be dissolved in the wake of the TV sting operation allegedly exposing IHF Secretary Jothikumaran taking a bribe for selecting a player in the national team.

Raising the issue in the House during the Zero Hour, Mr Shahid Siddqui of the Samajwadi Party said what was being shown on TV was shameful, and the rot was not confined to hockey alone but had set in other sports too.

He said that acording to the TV report, Rs three to Rs five lakh had been charged from each player, a disclosure that had put the whole country to shame.

''In fact, players are now like a commodity and sports has been turned into a 'satta bazar'(Centre for trading shares), and the latest instance was the whole Twenty20 cricket,'' he said.

The Samajwadi Party mebers also sought to draw the Government's attention to the theft of the hard disc containing the dope test records of players from the Nehru Centre, and said it could not have happened without collusion from inside.

Mr Siddqui urged the Ministry of Sports to dissolve the Indian Hockey Federation and seek the immediate resignation of its president.

His demand was strongly supported by the main Opposition BJP and members of other parties.

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