New Delhi, May 19 : Hockey India on Saturday named Rajinder Singh as its president after Mariamma Koshy submitted her resignation from the post.

Koshy, a former state-level striker, was appointed Hockey India chief in November 2016 after Narinder Dhruv Batra had stepped down after being elected as the president of the International Hockey Federation (FIH).

Koshy had in various capacities been involved in hockey administration for over two decades.

"Mariamma Koshy has contributed to Indian hockey over the last two decades and we are grateful for her services. She has been a guiding light for the Federation and also a big source of inspiration to many players and administrators alike. We wish her the best in her future endeavors," Hockey India secretary general Mushtaque Ahmad said in a statement.

Rajinder Singh took charge on Saturday. He was earlier the Hockey India treasurer and is currently the treasurer of the Jammu & Kashmir state unit.

"We are happy to name Rajinder Singh as the president of Hockey India from May 19 following the resignation of Mariamma Koshy. We wish Rajinder Singh the best in this new role," Mushtaque Ahmad added.

 

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Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.

Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.

Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.

An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.

The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.

A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.

Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."

"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.

"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.

A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.