MUMBAI (Reuters) ? India's hockey row continued on Tuesday as one of the two federations which claim to run the sport asked for more time to consider a government peace plan.
The Indian Hockey Federation (IHF), locked in a battle with the more recently-formed Hockey India (HI), said it needed a week to mull over a merger plan aimed at reviving Indian hockey after a period in the doldrums.
"We need more time... We need to consult with our members. There are a lot of issues with the merger plan. It's not possible for me and the president to take the decision alone," IHF secretary Ashok Mathur told Reuters.
"We are already in touch with our members for their input. We will consider all of that and let the ministry know of our decision."
Indian hockey is now a far cry from its glorious past which brought eight Olympic gold medals and the sport in the country has become the poor relation to cricket.
The men's team failed to qualify for the Beijing Olympics three years ago.
Sports Minister Ajay Maken had given the two bodies until Tuesday to agree to a merger plan or face sanctions.
The warring parties had come together for a meeting with Maken in Delhi on Saturday in an effort to resolve a long-standing dispute.
The IHF lost international recognition in 2008 and has since been replaced by HI but was revived by a court order last year.
An HI official confirmed submitting its response to the sports ministry on Tuesday but declined to disclose any details.
A source in the ministry said they would rather wait another seven days for the IHF's reply than rush with the proposed merger and face possible legal issues.
(Additional reporting by Amlan Chakraborty in New Delhi; editing by Brian Homewood; to query or comment on this story, email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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