NEW DELHI (AFP) - India's Olympic chiefs on Monday sacked the country's controversial field hockey federation following a bribery scandal and failure to qualify for the Olympics. Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Suresh Kalmadi said an ad-hoc committee will be named soon to manage the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF) that was headed by supercop Kanwar Pal Singh Gill since 1994. "It is a painful, but necessary step to ensure Indian hockey gets back on track," Kalmadi told reporters after an emergency meeting of the IOA which was also attended by Gill. "We are committed to the autonomy of sports federations but we could also not keep silent over the falling standards and allegations of corruption." Kalmadi said the IHF will be suspended "for an indefinite period" and named a five-man selection committee to pick teams for international commitments. The selection panel, comprising former star players, will be headed by Aslam Sher Khan and include ex-captains Ashok Kumar, Ajitpal Singh, Dhanraj Pillay and Zafar Iqbal. Australian field hockey wizard Ric Charlesworth will act as an advisor to the selectors, Kalmadi said. There was no immediate reaction from Gill, the former police officer credited with wiping out Sikh militancy in Punjab in the 1980s, who had earlier declined to resign as IHF chief. India, eight-time Olympic gold medallists, failed to qualify for the Beijing Games for the first time since field hockey was introduced as a medal sport in 1928.Earlier this month, IHF secretary Kandaswamy Jothikumaran quit after an undercover television sting operation caught him allegedly accepting bribes to include a player in the national team. Jothikumaran denied any corruption, saying he accepted the money to start preparing for a proposed international tournament and not for any player's selection. The scandal prompted federal sports minister Manohar Singh Gill to urge the IHF chief to step down to allow someone new to make a fresh start. "I have agonised long over the IHF," the sports minister had said in a statement. "I believe the IHF President must also introspect and review his position. "It is time to let other Indians make an attempt to lift our hockey." The IOA's move to disband the IHF came after the sport's world governing body warned India to improve their hockey standards or risk losing the 2010 World Cup in New Delhi. The International Hockey Federation (FIH), concerned at India's sharp fall at the world level, also devised a promotional project for the country to stem the rot. Former international Jagbir Singh welcomed the IOA's move to sack Gill. "It was long overdue and hopefully this is the beginning of a new era," said Singh. "We need our hockey to reach the top again."