The formation of a unified field hockey body comes after the International Hockey Federation (IHF) threatened to take away the World Cup from India if the country did not have one national association governing the sport both for men and women.

 

Suresh Kalmadi, the President of the IOA, said: "The new national association, called Hockey India, will govern both the men and women's game in the country.

 

"The International Hockey Federation told us that India will only host the men's World Cup next year if it can form a unified national association for men and women.

 

"If this had not been done, even India's participation in international events was under threat."

 

Kalmadi said the IOA had decided to grant provisional affiliation to Hockey India, while it had disaffiliated the two associations separately running men's and women's field hockey.

 

The IOA has been governing men's field hockey in India for a year through an administrative panel, after suspending the Indian Hockey Federation in the wake of bribery accusations.