GEORGE Koshy (pic) will only stand for the deputy president's post, leaving Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal as a most likely unopposed president of the Malaysian Hockey Confederation (MHC).
Nominations close at noon Tuesday, and early indications are that Subahan, the current Selangor HA president, will replace Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah as the sixth president of the Confederation.
"Yes, Koshy has signed the nomination form for deputy president and will not stand for the president's post. Our other candidate for women's deputy president K. Maheshwary has also signed the nomination form," said Kuala Lumpur HA secretary V. Rajamanickam.
Even with just one day to go, only four states had sent in their nominations and Sabah, Sarawak and Kedah had all named Subahan as president. To be eligible to stand as president one needs three nominations and Subahan has already received his.
With the top post unopposed, stiff battle lines have been drawn for the men and women's deputy president. At this stage, Koshy is going to be challenged by incumbent vice-president Datuk Nur Azmi Ahmad.
And it will be a vice-president's upgrade battle in the women's section when incumbents S. Shamala and Mahesari go for the deputy president's post.
Elections will be held on May 13, and nominees have until May 9 to withdraw from the race.
Also making an exit will be incumbent deputy president Puan Sri Raja Noora Ashikin who will not be seeking re-election.
The new MHC constitution did away with the secretary's post and replaced it with a CEO, while there will be two deputy president's to govern both genders. Seven vice-president's posts will also be contested.
During the earlier nominations which were cancelled due to a messed up constitution, Subahan won unopposed with 12 states nominating him, while Shamala had the highest nomination (men as well as women) for vice-president with 11 states backing her quest.
The Malaysian Hockey Federation (MHF) was formed in 1953 and the first president was Tun Abdul Razak (1957–1976) followed by Sultan Azlan Shah (2002–2004), Raja Nazrin Shah (2004–2006), Admiral Tan Sri Mohammad Anwar Mohammad Nor (19 Dec 2006–1 Nov 2008) and
Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah (1 Nov 2008-13 May 2015).
