Sub-jr hockey selection trials held but participation in nationals still unsure

By Paritosh Pramanik

UNCERTAINTY and confusion continue to prevail over participation of sub-junior girls hockey team of Vidarbha Hockey Association even as the ‘chairman’ of the ‘selection committee’ Vivek Siriah conducted selection trials for the 9th Hockey India Sub-Junior Women’s B Division Nationals to be held at Sikar in Rajasthan from May 15-25.
Hockey India has suspended Vidarbha Hockey Association for the season 2018-19 due to infighting among the executive committee members and asked the association to iron out its differences before sending any team for nationals.
But citing a High Court decision, the BC Bhartia-appointed selection committee, conducted selection trials on May 1-2 and picked 18 members for the sub-junior nationals, it has been learnt.
Interestingly, the championship fixtures posted on its website by Hockey India do not have the name of VHA’s team.
On April 18, the Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court, in its interim order, had asked the selection committee of the petitioner association (VHA) to conducted trials and send team for the nationals.
However, Arvind Joshi and Pramod Jain, whom Hockey India has referred to as President and Secretary of VHA in its official website, claimed that the selections trials were illegal as all the committees had been dissolved by the association in earlier meetings.
As per rules, the president or the secretary has to officially sign the selected team and send it to the tournament organising committee. With Joshi and Jain claiming the trials illegal, it is still not clear who would be the signing authority, if the team is allowed to participate.
The Joshi and Jain-led eight committee members have suspended both ‘president’ BC Bhartia and ‘secretary’ Gawai. Whether the team sent by Bhartia and Gawai would be allowed to participate by Hockey India is still not clear.
Arun Kumar Saraswat, president of Hockey Rajasthan, said they have not yet received any information regarding participation or non participation of Vidarbha team.
“Whichever team Hockey India permits, we would allow them. We have not yet received any instructions from Hockey India regarding Vidarbha’s participation,” Saraswat told ‘The Hitavada’ over phone.
The Vivek Siriah-headed selection committee is in constant touch with Hockey India. They have mailed the court order copy and the list of selected players to Hockey India. But they are yet to receive any reply from the hockey governing body of the country, it has been learnt.
Though the team is yet to be declared officially, those selected are being asked to attend a camp from May 8. If Hockey India allows Vidarbha team to participate, it would be a great news for the players. But if not, then once again, it would be only the players who would suffer because of the ego clashes of the officials.