'GOVERNMENT LOOKS AT KASHMIRI PLAYERS WITH JAUNDICED EYE’
ABID KHAN
Srinagar, Jan 29: Criticising the selection of three players from the Jammu province as against one from the valley for the recently announced state awards, the sports fraternity of the valley has flayed the government for ignoring sports stars of the valley, even as the Sports Council had included the prominent footballer Me’raj-ud-Din Wadoo in the nomination list. The government, on 26 January, announced state awards for 17 persons for their contribution in various fields of life including four sportspersons: Mitali—a 12th grade student— in Gymnastics, Ram Singh Slathia, in mountaineering and Ajay Sharma in table tennis and Gul Mustafa Dev in skiing. Of the four sportspersons chosen for the awards, three belong to Jammu while as, Gul Mustafa—the only Olympian from the valley— belongs to the valley. Ironically, it took the government 20 years to recognise his contribution. Senior member of the J&K Football Association, Fayaz Ahmad Sofi, said that Jammu players were preferred over Kashmiri players: “The council and the bureaucrats in secretariat favour Jammu players,” he said. “The awards are given only when it is ensured that Jammu players feature in the list, otherwise, they are not given at all.” He said it was an irony that valley players had to wait 15-20 years for the award while Jammu players were awarded within one year only. He said of the three Jammu players who figured in the list, the performance of two was genuine while as the third had no worthwhile achievement. “Mitali is a class 12th student and her performance in gymnastics was brilliant last year,” he said. “Similarly Ram Singh Salathia climbed the Everest last year. Both have been awarded within just a year of their performance.” He said the third awardee, Ajay Sharma, a table tennis player had ‘nothing’ to his credit when compared with the likes of some of the great stars of the valley whose contribution to the sports could not be ignored. “The extent of discrimination can be measured by the fact that the valley stars, such as, Gul Mustafa Dev and Majid Kakroo, were awarded after 20 and 15 years,” he said. “Other stars, known for their excellence in different fields within the country and outside as well, have blatantly been discredited. He said that the awards were being given in the low-profile games and the popular sports like football were carefully sidelined. “This is done because the valley players would make a complete sweep in hi-profile games such as football, cricket, skiing etc,” he said. He said the dictatorial role played by the Council members set in hegemony within this sports body resulting in favouritism, nepotism and corruption. The J&K Sports Development Association secretary, Riyaz Ahmad, said that irregularities in conferring state awards reflect total bias of the government. “What have they achieved,” he asked referring to the performance of the Jammu players. “Their performance is nothing before the excellence of the players like Wadoo, Ishfaq, Zahoor Latoo, Kuldeep Honda.” “Wadoo who is a regular member of the Indian team, is the biggest star of the state,” he said. “As part of the Indian team, he proved his mettle time and again in SAFF Cup, Nehru Cup and AFC Cup. Apart from the Indian team, he is a regular member of East Bengal football club of Kolkatta.” Of Ishfaq, he said, “he has represented India on numerous occasions and is currently a member of India’s oldest football club, Mohan Bagan. He is their main striker along with Baichung Bhutia and Barrreto.” He said the achievements of Kuldeep Hondo were unparalleled in martial arts. “He won medals at numerous international and national events,” he said. “He has also excelled in his coaching assignment and has been the coach of Indian Junior Wu-Shu team recently which won medals at various events.” About Zahoor Latoo, he said, he was the international Kayaking star of the valley. “He has won over 30 national medals for the state in various water sport events,” he said. “In the 33rd national games held at Guwahatii, Assam, he won three medals for the state.” He said Mitali was chosen for the award for a similar achievement. “She was given a lot of monetary assistance and educational benefits by the state,” he said. “God knows whether the award committee knew Zahoor or not.” He said apart from those chosen by the government, Kashmir had numerous international stars, who have deserved honours more than any body else. The Dalgate Sports Fraternity, president, Sajid Yusuf, said that the government looks at Kashmiri players with a jaundiced eye. “It is not only this time the government preferred Jammu players to the valley-based,” he said. “This has been happening for the past many years.” The secretary Sports Council, PS Gill, told Greater Kashmir that the General Administration Department chose the players for the awards upon the Council recommendations. “The Council has nothing to do with the selection,” he said. “We had recommended Me’raj-ud-Din Wadoo but the GAD thought his achievements were not good enough for the award.” Efforts to contact the GAD could not materialise.
Srinagar, Jan 29: Criticising the selection of three players from the Jammu province as against one from the valley for the recently announced state awards, the sports fraternity of the valley has flayed the government for ignoring sports stars of the valley, even as the Sports Council had included the prominent footballer Me’raj-ud-Din Wadoo in the nomination list. The government, on 26 January, announced state awards for 17 persons for their contribution in various fields of life including four sportspersons: Mitali—a 12th grade student— in Gymnastics, Ram Singh Slathia, in mountaineering and Ajay Sharma in table tennis and Gul Mustafa Dev in skiing. Of the four sportspersons chosen for the awards, three belong to Jammu while as, Gul Mustafa—the only Olympian from the valley— belongs to the valley. Ironically, it took the government 20 years to recognise his contribution. Senior member of the J&K Football Association, Fayaz Ahmad Sofi, said that Jammu players were preferred over Kashmiri players: “The council and the bureaucrats in secretariat favour Jammu players,” he said. “The awards are given only when it is ensured that Jammu players feature in the list, otherwise, they are not given at all.” He said it was an irony that valley players had to wait 15-20 years for the award while Jammu players were awarded within one year only. He said of the three Jammu players who figured in the list, the performance of two was genuine while as the third had no worthwhile achievement. “Mitali is a class 12th student and her performance in gymnastics was brilliant last year,” he said. “Similarly Ram Singh Salathia climbed the Everest last year. Both have been awarded within just a year of their performance.” He said the third awardee, Ajay Sharma, a table tennis player had ‘nothing’ to his credit when compared with the likes of some of the great stars of the valley whose contribution to the sports could not be ignored. “The extent of discrimination can be measured by the fact that the valley stars, such as, Gul Mustafa Dev and Majid Kakroo, were awarded after 20 and 15 years,” he said. “Other stars, known for their excellence in different fields within the country and outside as well, have blatantly been discredited. He said that the awards were being given in the low-profile games and the popular sports like football were carefully sidelined. “This is done because the valley players would make a complete sweep in hi-profile games such as football, cricket, skiing etc,” he said. He said the dictatorial role played by the Council members set in hegemony within this sports body resulting in favouritism, nepotism and corruption. The J&K Sports Development Association secretary, Riyaz Ahmad, said that irregularities in conferring state awards reflect total bias of the government. “What have they achieved,” he asked referring to the performance of the Jammu players. “Their performance is nothing before the excellence of the players like Wadoo, Ishfaq, Zahoor Latoo, Kuldeep Honda.” “Wadoo who is a regular member of the Indian team, is the biggest star of the state,” he said. “As part of the Indian team, he proved his mettle time and again in SAFF Cup, Nehru Cup and AFC Cup. Apart from the Indian team, he is a regular member of East Bengal football club of Kolkatta.” Of Ishfaq, he said, “he has represented India on numerous occasions and is currently a member of India’s oldest football club, Mohan Bagan. He is their main striker along with Baichung Bhutia and Barrreto.” He said the achievements of Kuldeep Hondo were unparalleled in martial arts. “He won medals at numerous international and national events,” he said. “He has also excelled in his coaching assignment and has been the coach of Indian Junior Wu-Shu team recently which won medals at various events.” About Zahoor Latoo, he said, he was the international Kayaking star of the valley. “He has won over 30 national medals for the state in various water sport events,” he said. “In the 33rd national games held at Guwahatii, Assam, he won three medals for the state.” He said Mitali was chosen for the award for a similar achievement. “She was given a lot of monetary assistance and educational benefits by the state,” he said. “God knows whether the award committee knew Zahoor or not.” He said apart from those chosen by the government, Kashmir had numerous international stars, who have deserved honours more than any body else. The Dalgate Sports Fraternity, president, Sajid Yusuf, said that the government looks at Kashmiri players with a jaundiced eye. “It is not only this time the government preferred Jammu players to the valley-based,” he said. “This has been happening for the past many years.” The secretary Sports Council, PS Gill, told Greater Kashmir that the General Administration Department chose the players for the awards upon the Council recommendations. “The Council has nothing to do with the selection,” he said. “We had recommended Me’raj-ud-Din Wadoo but the GAD thought his achievements were not good enough for the award.” Efforts to contact the GAD could not materialise.
published in greater kashmir on January 31 link : http://www.greaterkashmir.com/full_story.asp?Date=31_1_2009&ItemID=4&cat=4
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