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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
PTI