Let's get straight to the point. The year is coming to an end, you are all very busy, some of you are already in holiday mode. And yes, in a way this is a Season's Greetings message. Today field hockey, tomorrow another Olympic international federation (IF), stay tuned. And in the new year I'll be back with more exclusives, both big and small. Because Olympic cheats never take a break – it's always peak season for them.
So let's talk about Tayyab Ikram, who has passports from Pakistan and Macau, has been president of the FIH since 2022, where he was recently reconfirmed in office (I would not call that election) until 2032 even (!), and has been a member of the IOC's Olympic Solidarity Commission for an eternity, among other things. Who knows, maybe he even hopes to become an IOC member ex officio as IF president.
So, how would you react, dear reader, if a former IOC member, a former NOC president and a former president of an Olympic IF is reporting the following …
… the letter below (and 15 additional letters) was sent by Narinder Druhv Batra to IOC President Thomas Bach, IOC Director General Christophe De Kepper, IOC Directors James Macleod (NOC Relations) and Kit McConnell (Sports); David Luckes (Associate Director Summer Sports and International Federation Relations), Jérôme Poivey (Head of Institutional Relations and Governance); and the entire FIH Executive Board and all national field hockey federations.
A slightly abridged summary, without any corrections from my side:
