The Sahara logo on the Indian team jersey will continue following Hockey India’s plea that the contract has ended with IHF’s dissolution.

The Delhi High Court observed that the game's governing body was just an alter ego of the disbanded IHF, whose activities were taken over by the Hockey India.

"It appeared to the court that Hockey India was formed to avoid the threat of IOA to cancel hosting of Hockey World Cup in Delhi in 2010 consequent to suspension and disaffiliation of IHF," Justice Nadira Patherya said in a press release issued by the Sahara corporate group.

"Although the IHF continues as a body corporate but has lost its importance in the world of hockey. In fact, the activities of IHF have been taken over by Hockey India. The court says that it would not be incorrect to say that the mantle of the IHF has been taken over by Hockey India.

"Therefore, in effect Hockey India is nothing but an alter ego of IHF and this is evidenced from the three members of the ad-hoc committee constituting the Hockey India," Patherya concluded.

The court says the said step of incorporation of Hockey India could have been taken even prior to the order dated 27.04.2009. But the incorporation of Hockey India was not done then and this is another factor, which undoubtedly goes to show that the incorporation of Hockey India was to defeat the order.

The grounds, on which the Hockey India claimed vacation or variation of the stay order dated 24.7.2009, were not found by the court, the release said.

Another factor, which does not warrant vacating the earlier stay order, is that the Hockey team to be selected is a single national team. It is nobody's case that two teams will be selected, one by IHF and one by the Hockey India.

It is only one team selected by the Hockey India which represents India in tournaments and therefore this is an added factor to evidence the Hockey India is nothing but an alter ego of the IHF.

Accordingly, the stay order of the Kolkata High court, where it restrained Hockey India from permitting the national team to play without the company's logo, is not vacated but continued till five weeks, it concluded.