On a day of dramatic developments, the Hockey India was tonight derecognised by the government barely a few hours after its polls, which itself ran into a controversy following the election of a tainted office bearer.

The government withdrew the provisional recognition granted to HI, of which 82-years-old Vidya Stokes was elected President, for flouting guidelines relating to age and tenure of officials.

The government decision was communicated through an e-mail to the HI President and Secretary General Narinder Batra within hours after the elections, which were postponed four times earlier.

Ramesh Nambiar, elected unopposed as joint secretary, resigned from his post after questions were raised on his eligibility since his name figured in CBI charge-sheet relating to a defence scam.

"I have offered to resign and I have already sent my letter to interim President Vidya Stokes," Nambiar told PTI.

"There is a court case against me. I don't want to get into any controversy, that's why I preferred to resign. Media is coming after me in a case in which I have not been even proved guilty. So I just offered to resign," he added.

In the elections, the result of which were not officially declared due to a Supreme Court direction, Stokes beat former captain Pargat Singh by a 41-21 margin.

The government decision to withdraw the recognition for Hockey India came after it found the reply of the hockey body to the show-cause notice "legally untenable".

"Taking into account the 21.05.2010 Judgement of the Hon'ble High Court of Delhi, and the violation of Government guidelines by HI as well as open declaration by them that they are a private body beyond Writ jurisdiction and the Government's regulatory powers, government hereby withdraws with immediate effect the provisional recognition granted to Hockey India," the Sports Ministry communication to HI said.