Mattoo's resignation accepted, Stokes to head Hockey India

New Delhi, Jan 18 (PTI) A K Mattoo's resignation as
Hockey India president and treasurer of Commonwealth Games
Organising Committee was Monday accepted with "great
reluctance", paving the way for new office-bearers to take
over from the veteran administrator.
Mattoo, who had put in his papers after being deeply hurt
by the allegations levelled against him during the recent
hockey rebellion, stuck to his stand of not reconsidering his
decision despite request from Indian Olympic Association (IOA)
president Suresh Kalmadi and other senior colleagues.
Vidya Stokes, currently a vice president in Hockey India,
will take over as president till the February 7 election,
while secretary general of All India Tennis Association Anil
Khanna will be the new treasurer in the CWF Organising
Committee.
"It is with great reluctance and after consulting my
senior colleagues I have decided to accept Mattoo's
resignation as treasurer of the Organising Committee,"
Kalmadi, the OC chairman, said in a statement.
"I wish I could have persuaded him to change his mind and
not have to make this statement. We tried hard to convince
Mattoo to stay on but he has made up his mind. We have to
respect his sentiment and accept his wish to retire from
sports administration," he said.
Kalmadi said that his valuable inputs during the home
stretch of the Commonwealth Games preparation would be missed.
"We wish to place on record our appreciation of his meticulous
work over a number of years."

Lalit Bhanot, the OC secretary general, also said that
efforts were made to convince Mattoo to take back his
resignation but he had made up his mind.
The Hockey India executive committee met here Monday to
discuss Mattoo's resignation and asked Stokes to take over
charge till the elections were over.
"We tried to convince him to continue but he did not
agree, so the executive committee accepted his resignation. As
a senior vice president, I have been asked to take over the
charge for the time being," Stokes told reporters.
Asked about the reasons for Mattoo's sudden resignation,
Stokes said, "He must be having certain problems but we cannot
explain it."
Mattoo had sent in his resignation two days back to
Kalmadi, saying he has made up his mind to "take retirement
from sports administration".
"I have submitted my resignation to Kalmadi and I now
want to take retirement from sports administration. I have
served for 40 years and it has been long and fruitful
innings," Mattoo said.
Mattoo had been at the center of a players' rebellion
last week over non-payment of dues. He had pleaded with the
players to continue training and wait until after the World
Cup for their payments, an offer that was outrightly rejected
by the striking campers.
The matter was later resolved with Kalmadi brokering a
compromise deal after team sponsor Sahara India immediately
released Rs one crore for distribution among the players. PTI
SSC
RBT