India hosted the Senior Asia Cup around same time last year at Chennai.
It has now come to the light the host, Tamil Nadu Hockey Association, incurred a loss to the tune of Rs. 2.7 lacs in orgqnizing the show.

It is surprising because for a change, the then Indian Hockey Federations entrusted the whole business of running the competition to the state unit. The TNHA opened a new account and organized the whole operation under its banner.

The whole idea behind the strange move – ask a state unit to run the whole – was to maximize the benefits.

But exactly the change has occurred.

In the bogus meeting that the dysfunct and disgraced IHF is willing to organize to gasp a bit of oxygen for the last breadth before the death, some sort of account has been submitted by the TNHA, which is still alive thanks to the generosity of K. Murugan, the TNOA Secretary General. He is adamant to call a TNHA election, despite vociferous demand, as he obviously fears his close friends’ fate will be sealed.

The accounts prepared by T. Nagar based Anand and Ponnappan Chartered Accountants indicate the heavy loss.

Now the question of brasstacks.

Asia Cup is the Asian Hockey Federation’s baby. As such all the participating teams are expected to foot their boarding and lodging bill.

It is therefore the hosts are expected to spend only for local transport and all expenses of technical officials like umpires, TD and others.

Why then the organization of Asia Cup cost the TNHA a whoping Rs. 88 lac?
Accordingly to the bogus accounts – bogus because the IHF of the recent past never cared to call AGM each year and hardly submitted accounts in proper manner and before time for the members to go through and suggest — even the mementos, prizes etc alone cost Rs. 8.8 lac.

We all know what type of momentos were given out, and how cheap those were in the market.
Ok well accepted.

Now the cost of transports. It cost the organizers Rs. 17.11 lac.
There were ten teams, stayed for about 10 days. Why the local transport should cost so much?

You and I cannot ask because the organizers were outgone president’s favourite buddies.
Now we have one suggestion on how to compensate the TNHA the loss they incurred?
The loss was 2.7 lac. Recenlty, a sting operation it we were told a TNHA official received Rs. 2 lac in cash.

I think it is a well thought out move. The official can retain this money so that his TNHA loss could be covered.

A curiosity: Whether the ‘sting’ money shown under income in the accounts? A good question but the S2h does not want to waste time in investigating it.

Interested parties may approach us; we are ready to part with data.

It can however be gainfully said that the major contributors for the event happened to be government agencies like Tamil Nadu Sports Development Authority and BSNL. Since the main sources are public money, we the public have a right to know how the money was spent. But, who cares?