Carvalho accuses HI of targeting Tirkey, Ballal

Joaquim Carvalho hit out at Hockey India for stopping fellow-Olympians Dilip Tirkey and Ashish Ballal from performing their roles as selectors of the rival Indian Hockey Federation in the ongoing 63rd men`s nationals at Bhopal.

Mumbai: Olympian Joaquim Carvalho on Thursday hit out at Hockey India for stopping fellow-Olympians Dilip Tirkey

and Ashish Ballal from performing their roles as selectors of the rival Indian Hockey Federation in the ongoing 63rd men`s nationals at Bhopal. In a letter to the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Carvalho also accused an official of the Air India Sports Control Board of preventing former India skipper Tirkey and custodian Ballal from doing their job as IHF selectors. The former international half back, who did duty for the country at the Los Angeles Games in 1984, alleged that HI had directed Air India and Railways Sports Promotion Board to warn their employees from being part of the Bhopal nationals for the Rangaswamy Cup. "As I am writing this letter I just received a call from former captain, Olympian, Padmashree Shri Dilip Tirkey who has been stopped by the Air India Sports Control Board from performing his duties as a national selector at the ongoing 63rd National Hockey Championship at Bhopal," Carvalho wrote in his letter to the ministry`s joint secretary Injeti Srinivas. "Mr Ashish Ballal, Olympian and Arjuna Awardee, who was also named as a selector was also not granted the necessary permission to attend the championship as per the instructions of Mr Ramesh Nambiar, Air India Sports Office bearer," Carvalho alleged. Stating that he was pained to witness the sad happenings in Indian hockey, Carvalho -- a member of the MHA`s managing committee -- alleged that players and others were being used as pawns in the power struggle and were a totally confused lot. "Being a former Olympian, Arjuna Awardee, India Captain and Chief Coach of the Indian team it gives me great pain to witness the sad happenings in Indian Hockey, more so as players are being used as pawns in this ongoing power struggle," the former international said. "The ongoing dispute between the two hockey bodies ie. Hockey India, a creation of the Indian Olympic Association, and the other, erstwhile Indian Hockey Federation, has not only divided the Indian hockey but also created utter confusion in the minds of the players, officials, and people." Hitting out at HI president Vidya Stokes for issuing directives to institutional teams not to take part in the nationals, Carvalho also beseeched the government to take suitable action and prevent players and umpires from being made pawns in the power struggle. "The Government`s indecisiveness in not acting quickly and allowing these institutional teams run by the Government to stay away from the National Championship has sent the wrong signals," he said in his letter. "I would like to request the MYAS to kindly take immediate drastic action so that such behaviour of Hockey India officials is not tolerated and players, officials, umpires and teams are not made pawns in this unwanted power struggle," Carvalho said. PTI