Make changes in schedule and let VHA play: HC to HI

By Paritosh Pramanik

IN A major victory for the sub-junior girls of team Vidarbha Hockey Association (VHA) the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court has directed Hockey India (HI) to permit Vidarbha squad in the women’s sub-junior nationals which got under way from Wednesday at Sikar, Rajasthan.
In its order the court said the players should not be the victims of infighting of the committee members.
According to sources, in the late development on Tuesday, Hockey India had sought clarification from High Court regarding its order delivered on April 16 about the legality of the selection committee.
On Wednesday, High Court passed the order in favour of the selection committee and directed Hockey India to “permit the players sent on behalf of the Vidarbha Hockey Association to participate in the 9th All India Sub-Junior Women National Championship (Division B).
The court observed that “as regards the question as the whether the players sent on behalf of the Vidarbha Hockey Association to participate in the said tournament were selected by an undisputed selection committee or not, at this stage this Court refuses to go into the said question” and asked the organising committee to permit them to play and “make appropriate changes in the schedule of the tournament which is to start from today.”
All the parties in VHA were of the view that the team which is present at the venue should play the tournament.
“Everybody present including AP Joshi and Pramod Jain supported to let the selected team play in the nationals,” said a source.
“They only wanted that the team list should be sent to Hockey India through president (Joshi) and secretary’s (Jain) signature. But no heed was paid to this request as the Judge repeatedly said ‘let the team present at the venue play,” the source added.
The court in earlier order had directed the selection committee, ‘in respect of whom there is no dispute’, to select the team.
On Wednesday High Court observed that the selection committee followed the court’s order and “did actually forward the names of players for representing Vidarbha Hockey Association in the national championship.”
The court also pointed out that the selected players have already reached the venue of the tournament to represent Vidarbha Hockey Association and hence directed Hockey India to permit them to participate.
The single judge bench of Justice Manish Pitale also observed that it was unfortunate that due to inter se rivalry and dispute between to factions of VHA, the players representing the Association are the ultimate victims.
“It has to be kept in mind that the primary function of sports associations like VHA is to ensure that the best team representing the association participates in tournaments so that sports persons and the sports itself is given due encouragement,” the court observed.
The High Court also said if the players are not allowed to participate they would be unable to showcase their skills and their morale would be lowered. 
In its order the court directed Hockey India to conduct the process of verification of age under national code against age fraud in sports and other compliance required under the norms laid down by International Hockey Federation.
When contacted AP Joshi said, “We all wanted the players to play the tournament. I have already said that the players should not suffer. Hence we all wanted the team sent by Siriah to play.”