New Delhi:
AK Mattoo's resignation as Hockey India president and treasurer of Commonwealth Games Organising Committee was on Monday accepted with "great reluctance", paving the way for new office-bearers to take over from the veteran administrator.
Mattoo, who had put in his papers after being deeply hurt by the allegations levelled against him during the recent hockey rebellion, stuck to his stand of not reconsidering his decision despite request from IOA president Suresh Kalmadi and other senior colleagues.
Vidya Stokes, currently a vice president in Hockey India, will take over as president till the February 7 election, while secretary general of All India Tennis Association Anil Khanna will be the new treasurer in the CWF Organising Committee.
"It is with great reluctance and after consulting my senior colleagues I have decided to accept Mattoo's resignation as treasurer of the Organising Committee," Kalmadi, the OC chairman, said in a statement.
"I wish I could have persuaded him to change his mind and not have to make this statement. We tried hard to convince Mattoo to stay on but he has made up his mind. We have to respect his sentiment and accept his wish to retire from sports administration," he said.
Kalmadi said that his valuable inputs during the home stretch of the Commonwealth Games preparation would be missed. "We wish to place on record our appreciation of his meticulous work over a number of years."