KU cancels tour for cycling tournament

ABID KHAN
Srinagar, Feb 22: The University of Kashmir has cancelled the tour of its cycling team scheduled to take part in the inter-university cycling championship at Thirunatampuram, Kerala beginning February 24. Describing the cancellation as ‘tantamount to playing with their future,’ the selected players have criticised the university authorities for their ‘lackadaisical’ approach and demanded a probe into it. The former director of the Physical Education and Sports department, K A Tarzan, reportedly promised first ten cyclists of the inter-college cycle race held in November last year that they would be sent for the inter-university event. “We’ve been making regular rounds of the department to remind the authorities of their promise,” cyclist Anzil Mukhtar said. “We were amazed to know when they said the team simply can’t go.” He said all the selected players had been practicing hard for the upcoming event. “They [officials] can’t play with our future and emotions like this,” he said. “Earlier too, they had shown their reluctance to organise the inter-college race. It took all the players hell of an effort to persuade them for the event.” He said the success of the event compelled them to announce that the university would send its team for the national event. “They should have not raised our hopes in the first place,” he said. “They even announced a cash prize of Rs 5000 for the medal winner in the inter-university event.” He said the authorities were coming up with ‘lame’ excuses on the issue. “At first they were said fixture had not been finalised yet,” he said. “Now they say inter-college race was not held.” Anzil who is currently ranked number-1 cyclist of the state has won many races including the inter-college race with the best ever timing. Sources in the Sports department of the university said that the entry fee required to register the institution was not sent in the first place. “The reality is that they cannot make money out of this event like others,” they said. “The sport has no takers in the department, hence was out-rightly rejected.” They said the department was averse to the policies of its former head and cyclists had tp pay for that. Meanwhile, the J&K Cycling Association has strongly flayed the KU Sports department for ‘playing with the career of the cyclists’. “They [cyclists] work hard for the whole year ignoring their studies at times,” joint secretary Riyaz Ahmad said. “Cycling picked up in the valley in 1997 and the KU has not participated in any cycling event at the national level ever. It stopped holding inter-college events on a bizarre excuse that cycling was a dangerous sport.” He said the Association organised the inter-college cycling event without any injuries to any player. “Buoyed with its success, the former director announced a 10-day coaching for the selected players to prepare them for the inter-university championship.” Demanding probe into the cancellation of the tour, he said: “It is high time the higher-ups who boast of their extra-ordinary interest in sports, set the matters right in the sports department of the NAAC accredited A-grade University.” Attempts to contact officials of the concerned department could not materialise.

published on Feb 23 in Greater Kashmir: link http://www.greaterkashmir.com/full_story.asp?Date=23_2_2009&ItemID=1&cat=4