SAI pullout causes concern

By TN Raghu

July 14: The last-minute withdrawal of Sports Authority of India from the Syed Ahmed tournament has raised eyebrows in the hockey circles. Besides losing valuable match exposure, the young guns of SAI have also been robbed of an opportunity to stake a claim in the job market. Where else Indian Bank, IOB, ICF and Southern Railway will get to see potential employees?

S. Reehan Ahmed, the organising secretary of the tournament, was puzzled by SAI’s eleventh hour pull-out. “SAI had initially sought two entries and I was glad to accede to their request. I thought the event would serve as an excellent platform for the SAI youngsters. I had even prepared the fixtures with two SAI teams. But I was shocked a few days before the tournament to learn that SAI were not sending their teams. I was told that SAI would participate only in state-level tournaments,” he added.
The Syed Ahmed tournament features top teams in Chennai district. People in the know aver that a Chennai district event is as good as a state tournament as all top teams in Tamil Nadu are based in the city. What is there beyond Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Southern Railway and ICF on the local circuit?

SAI’s ‘only state tournaments’ directive flies in the face of logic. What is the need to establish a new rule that is flawed in its conception? After all, SAI can no way avoid playing Chennai district teams in the local league. And, in all states across the country the league in the capital city is the de facto state league. Had SAI not known that the Syed Ahmed tournament was only for district teams when they wanted two entries?

If a private team had cried off, nobody would have bothered to raise a question. But SAI are operating out of the union government’s funds and it is their duty to take part in a tournament conducted in the city unless there is an unavoidable reason to stay away.