Hindustan Times: Overage players win Delhi under-14 title

29 January 2016
By Navneet Singh

NEW DELHI: Officials of the Delhi education department — responsible for selecting an allegedly overage under-14 boys’ hockey team for the National School Games in Ranchi — are facing the heat.

HT has learnt that the officials allegedly tampered with the eligibility forms by switching the photographs of the genuine players, but forgot to change the names. When the team members posed with the trophy, it exposed the nexus between the officials and players to win gold.

Ironically, the School Games Federation of India (SGFI), under whose banner the event was held from January 4-8, was clueless about the discrepancy as the eligibility forms were signed by school principals and coaches. When pictures of the winning team did the rounds, the deed came to light. It also casts doubt on whether the forms were scrutinised by top officials.

Despite the pictures of ineligible players posing with the trophy, of which HT has copies, sports department officials are in denial.

Asha Aggarwal, deputy director of the sports department, said she had doubts because there is a system in place to check the forms. “There is a proper form which carries the photograph of the player.”

When told that officials had used unfair means, Aggarwal said she needed time to check. After a six-hour wait, she sent a text message, saying she couldn’t go to office due to illness, and wasn’t able to get the details.

DP Saini, a former Sports Authority of India (SAI) hockey coach, who now works with the Delhi government and was involved in the selection procedure, feigned ignorance over the episode.

“I don’t know anything,” he said.

Despite repeated efforts, team coach Shashikant, who works on an ad-hoc basis with the department, wasn’t available for comment.