Lausanne, Switzerland: Tayyab Ikram (MAC) was elected as new President of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) today by the FIH Congress. Of the 126 votes submitted by the member National Associations, Tayyab Ikram attained the required absolute majority of more than half the votes, receiving 79 votes to the 47 given to Marc Coudron (BEL). The duration of the term of the new FIH President will be of 2 years in order to complete the mandate of previous FIH President Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra who resigned on 18 July.

“Hockey is my passion, hockey has changed my life and I’m thankful to hockey and the hockey family for this. I express my gratitude to all of you for the confidence you’ve given me today. I promise you that I will carry the message of solidarity and bring the FIH together”, new FIH President Tayyab Ikram said.

Maureen Craig-Rousseau (TTO, 88 votes) and Elizabeth Safoa King (GHA, 68 votes) were re-elected to the FIH Executive Board (EB), while Hiroya Anzai (JPN, 72 votes), Piotr Wilkonski (POL, 70 votes) and Deon Morgan (RSA, 66 votes) were elected for the first time as FIH EB members. The term of office of Deon Morgan will be of two years, to take over the remaining two years of Tayyab Ikram’s term. The mandates of the other EB members who were elected or re-elected today will run until the 2026 FIH Congress. 

Further decisions:

  • The Congress approved the application of the Indonesian Hockey Federation “PP FHI” - which is supported by the Indonesian Olympic Committee and the national sports governing bodies of the Republic of Indonesia - as full member of FIH. The application follows the transfer of membership between the Indonesian Hockey Association “PHSI” (former national hockey governing body) and the Indonesian Hockey Federation (now FIH member) that was approved by the FIH Executive Board on 4 October 2022. The Indonesian Hockey Federation has met all FIH membership requirements.

  • The recipients of the FIH Honorary Awards - giving recognition to numerous individuals, teams and organisations for their outstanding contributions to the sport of hockey - and the FIH President’s Awards – which are given to individuals for long and valuable services to hockey, whether direct or indirect – were revealed today as well (see full list of recipients below).

The 48th FIH Congress, which was held virtually, had started yesterday with delegates joining a virtual conference titled “Stronger Together” where major topics such as fan engagement, innovation, sustainability, development or governance were discussed.

***********

FIH President’s Awards:

  • - Gill Gemming (NZL): an educator, coach, administrator and official, the Chair and a member of both the OHF and the FIH Education and Development Committees has committed her life to the growth and development of hockey and its people

  • - Chaiyapak Siriwat (THA): the Vice-President of the Asian Hockey Federation and President of the Thailand Hockey Federation has had an illustrious career in sports management, especially when it comes to event management

  • - Marissa Langeni (RSA): as the CEO of the South African Hockey Association during almost 15 years, has played an instrumental role in the promotion of the sport in South Africa and beyond

  • - Margaret Hunnaball (ENG): one of the top Umpire Managers in the world, has taken numerous initiatives for the development of umpiring as well as safeguarding, and is a mentor for young officials

  • - Willard Harris (TRI): the Chair of the FIH and PAHF Competitions Committees has been associated with the hockey community for 50 years and conducted numerous seminars sharing his experiences with many of the officials that are now officiating internationally

  • - Shiraz Ali Yakub (KEN): the FIH Umpire and Umpire Manager from Kenya – also former member of the Executive Board of the African Hockey Federation - has been successfully involved in a wide range of events, from his native country to the global stage

  • - Elena Norman (AUS): the CEO of Hockey India is playing an outstanding role in the promotion and development of hockey in India as well as around the globe through the numerous world events which the country has been hosting

FIH Honorary Awards:

  • - Pablo Negre Trophy: awarded to the French Hockey Federation for the emphasis in their governance on making hockey more inclusive, more sustainable and more accessible

  • - Theo Ykema Award: awarded to the Uganda Hockey Association for their great initiatives to develop hockey in the country

  • - HRH Sultan Azlan Shah Award: awarded to Tornike Tevdoradze (GEO) for all his activities to grow hockey in Georgia

  • - Etienne Glichitch Award: awarded to Gino Schilders (NED), in recognition of his contribution to the growth and development of hockey, in particular for the Czech Hockey Federation in the last 25 years

  • - Guust Lathouwers Memorial Trophy: awarded to Miao Lin (CHN) for her accomplishments and commitment that have inspired many Asian umpires

  • - Super Fair Play Trophy René G. Frank: awarded to the Kazakhstan national team for all the support they provide to other countries, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan in particular

  • Order of Merit: awarded to Dr. Michael Green (GER), Shahbaz Ahmad (PAK) and Sarinder Dillon (UK) for their unvaluable dedication and commitment to hockey at all levels

  • Diploma of Merit: awarded to Subahan bin Kamal (MAS) for his significant contribution to the development and advancement of hockey in Malaysia


To see an overview of all FIH Honorary Award winners, both past and present, as well as background information about the prizes, please click here. 


For more information about FIH and hockey in general, please download the Watch.Hockey app or follow the FIH social media channels - Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – and website.

#HockeyEquals
#HockeyInvites