Will there be a radical change of fortunes for Indian tennis !

There is no end or start to the season in Indian tennis. The players are constantly travelling to make points and boost their career. Sometimes, it pays to stay busy by the end of the season when the top professional s are training for the next season !

A bunch of Indian players, both men and women, will be looking forward to having a ‘’radical’’ change to their fortunes, thanks to Graphene XT Technology introduced recently by Head, one of the leading tennis equipment manufacturer based in Austria.

Of course, someone like Leander Paes who had shifted to Head sometime back, would attempt to continue with the winning ways as he had won three Grand Slam mixed doubles titles with Martina Hingis this season. His focus would be to keep his men’s doubles ranking up with a good run towards the Rio Olympics, which would be his seventh Olympics on the trot, a record for any sportsman, especially a tennis player.

While Andy Murray, the leading face of Head, promoting the brand around the world, would attempt to add more Grand Slam titles and possibly defend his Olympic gold won at Wimbledon during the London Games, the less renowned Indian tennis players, including Vishnu Vardhan, who had such a memorable London Olympics would attempt to ride on technology as much as their will to succeed.

Sriram Balaji, VM Ranjeet, Mohit Mayur, Sidharth Rawat, Kaza Vinayak Sharma, Anvit Bendre, Suraj Pabodh, Ronit Singh Bisht, Shaikh Abdulllah, PC Vignesh and Prajwal Dev are some of the Indian players who use Head or supported by it.

Already Ronit Bisht has made an impact by making the final of the ITF men’s Futures event in Jassowal, Ludhiana. Sriram Balaji, recovering from illness will be looking to get back to the winning ways that had seen him reach a career best rank of 309 around the same time last year. He is a bit confused about his training stint at the Schuettler Waske Tennis-University in Germany, scheduled after the Chennai Open, coinciding with a series of tournaments in Asia.

For sure, Balaji is a Challenger class player, and needs to get back to that level soon. It is a pity that some Challengers would be missing from the Indian calendar in the early part of next season. Noticeably, the Delhi Open $100,000 Challenger would offer half the prize money this time.

Among the Indian women, Karman Kaur Thandi is the brightest prospect, wielding the Head. If she can play her best, using her height, reach and the big serves to good effect, she may be able to jump up in the ranking list from her modest current status of being 776 in the world.

Rishika Sunkara, Snehadevi Reddy, Sowjanya Bavissetti, Sri Vaishnavi Peddi Reddy, Sai Samhitha, Shweta Rana, Asha Nandakumar, Akshara Iska, Vasavi Ganesan, Sneha Padamata, Himani Mor, Preethi Ujjini and Moulika Ram are the other Indian women players using their Head to prosper on a tennis court, with varying degree of success!

The Radical collection, promises to offer a broad range of choice to match all of the tennis equipment, head to toe! Basically, the Graphene XT technology makes room for better distribution of weight from the shaft to the tip and grip, resulting in more power and an improved energy transfer for a faster game.

From among the four models, Pro, MPA, S and LITE, the MPA model has an adaptive string pattern (ASP). It allows the players to decide between a 16/16 and a 16/19 string pattern for spin adaptability!

The distinct message is, the future is here and it is Radical!

Interesting times ahead for the tennis players and enthusiasts.

Dr. Karni Singh, media and the shooting range

''For my good friend Mr. Sriman, with a million thanks for what you and the Times of India did for clay pigeon''. --- Karni Singh, Asiad 1982.

Dr. Karni Singh of Bikaner, and the great R. Sriman, the Sports Editor of Times of India, have left behind a rich legacy.

The World Championship silver medallist in trap in Cairo in 1962, Karni Singh wrote that nice note in his book, ''From Rome to Moscow, the memoirs of an Olympic trap shooter'', while presenting it to Sriman.

For some of us who feel proud to have done our bit for the sport, it is a humbling presentation.

In his preface, Karni Singh thanks a whole lot of people in the media, at a time when the Indian media had not exploded into this big a form as we find it today.

''I would also like to take this opportunity to convey my appreciation to all those very fine men of the sports pages of Indian newspapers, as also the All India Radio and T.V., who helped to build up the Clay Pigeon sport in our country, and but for whose help Clay Pigeon shooting would have remained unknown. I would like to mention names of kind friends who as sports editors of our major newspapers and magazines, helped to encourage this sport. Noteworthy amongst them are Mr. R. Sriman, Mr. Prabhu, the late Mr. Jadav, Mr. Bikram Singh, Mr. Daniels, Mr. Ron Hendricks, Mr. Wadhwani, Mr. Vernon Ram and Mr. Vijay Kaura amongst many others who showed special interest in this sport. The author expresses his appreciation to Mr. Melville de Mello, Mr. Surjit Sen, Mr. Jasdev Singh, Mr. Laxman Tandan and Mr. Sanyal of All India Radio who were also responsible to catapult this sport to its present position by educating the people through Radio and TV in our country''.

Continuing further with his appreciation of the Indian media, Karni Singh praises the sports magazines for their contribution.

''India's sports magazines deserve special thanks for the wide coverage given to Clay Pigeon shooting and the prominent amongst them are Sports and Pastime, Sports Week, Sports World and the famous Illustrated Weekly of India, and Dharmayug (Hindi). The author wishes to express his appreciation to the editors of these famous magazines, prominent amongst whom are Mr. Khalid Ansari, Mr. Sharad Kotnis, the Nawab of Pataudi and Mr. Raju Bharatan for the encouragement given by them to this sport''.

It is indeed a privilege to have the book presented to Sriman, thanks mainly to his daughter Radhica and my colleague in The Hindu, Vijay Lokapally. Of course, it was a morale-booster to be told by Sriman, way back in 1990, during a football tournament at the Ambedkar Stadium that one had a brilliant career ahead! It was an education listening to Sriman, even though everyone feared his acerbic tongue. He could praise and curse with equal felicity.

While he was sparse with his praise, few could tolerate the sting of his tongue.

Even Sriman would have sympathised at the plight of the sports journalists today, and sought the ears of the administrator for special treatment. Never mind the fact that Sriman had maintained that the profession had gone to the dogs because dogs had come into the profession !

For, it has become a gigantic task just to gain entry into the Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Range in Tughlakabad, if you are a person from the media.

My friend Vinayak Padmadeo of the Hindustan Times had to wait nearly for 40 minutes outside the gates on Wednesday, the first day of Olympic trials, before he was allowed inside. I had to wait a few minutes. But four security guards came to us at the 10-metre range while we were watching the Olympic trials, featuring the cream of Indian talent.

They were apologetic and said that we had no permission to be in the premises.

Frantic calls to the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI) and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) did not lead to a solution as the Administrator of the shooting range was not willing to take phone calls. Eventually, we had to leave the shooting and reach the administrator who offered tea and said that he was not informed about the individual media persons.

Digvijay Singh Deo, the Sports Editor of CNN-IBN had taken permission to conduct interviews at the range. It was understandable. The print journalists merely made entries on the register at the gate, which has been a common practice for everyone.

In fact, an earlier administrator had been officially hauled up by the Director General of SAI for not letting media do its work. Yet, things don't change. You are forced to stare at the gate every time and the helpless security personnel.

Vinayak had left his home in Ghaziabad at 7.30 a.m. for the trials scheduled to start at 9.30, because he had to keep a margin for heavy peak hour traffic while driving through for about 45 kilometres to the range in Tughlakabad. His head start, by about 30 minutes to mine, we being neighbours with him being farther from the range, proved of little value as Vinayak was stopped at the gate for long. Eventually, both of us could watch little as Abhinav Bindra and company kept puncturing the black paper on the electronic targets.

Perhaps, there is a lot to hide at the shooting range, revamped at phenomenal cost for the Commonwealth Games in 2010. The electronic targets present a poor picture. Only 14 function, out of 80 lanes at the 50-metre range. Only 10 are operational at the 25-metre range, which is only one fourth of the capacity.

The 10-metre range is being repaired for the forthcoming Asian Air Gun Championship for a few crore of rupees. The national campers are not even allowed to shoot after 1.30 p.m. even at the 25m and 50m ranges despite them being occupied for Olympic trials, and not being part of the forthcoming Asian event.

With the government taking care of sports by pumping the tax payers money, the national federations and the SAI view media as an unnecessary evil, except when they require publicity.

It is a pain to endure traffic for two hours and then be denied entry, when only a handful follow the sport and try to be honest with their work.

It is a mere reflection of the times that we live. It may strike a discordant note at the Dr. Karni Singh Range, mainly because the great man held the media in such high esteem, as he understood its key role.

Maybe, the authorities would try to solve the problem efficiently, by changing the name of the shooting range!

Sports Ministry springs the best name for Khel Ratna, but who will give Arjuna award to Nirupama Sanjeev

The Union Sports Ministry has been spontaneous in recommending women's World No.1 doubles star Sania Mirza for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award.

The credentials of the 28-year-old Sania, a rare phenomenon in Indian women's tennis, are just too good. She will enhance the stature of the award the way some of the earlier awardees, starting from Viswanathan Anand, Leander Paes, Sachin Tendulkar apart from a host of other stars had accomplished.

She has the maximum number of eight tennis medals from the Asian Games for an Indian player, as she started early with a bronze in mixed doubles with Paes in the Busan Games in 2002, when she was 15. Sania went on to win two gold medals in mixed doubles, with Paes (2006) and Saketh Myneni (2014) apart from a silver with Vishnu Vardhan (2010). She helped Prarthana Thombare to the women's doubles bronze medal in the last edition in Incheon. Another first for Indian women's tennis.

She was the first Indian tennis player, man or woman, to make the final of singles in the Asian Games, when she finished runner-up to Zheng Jie of China, after having outclassed future Grand Slam champion, Li Na 6-2, 6-2 in the semifinals, in Doha in 2006. She added the individual bronze in 2010. Sania, along with Shikha Uberoi, helped the Indian team to the silver medal in Doha.

In the Commonwealth Games at home in 2010, she won the singles silver and doubles bronze. In Hyderabad, in the Afro-Asian Games, Sania had swept four gold medals in 2003.

On the professional circuit, in which she reached a career-best rank of 27 in singles, before focusing on doubles, following a series of injury break-downs, that demanded surgery, her achievements have all been very well documented, with the recent women's doubles title with Martina Hingis in Wimbledon, and three mixed doubles titles, at the Australian, French and US Open, the first two with Mahesh Bhupathi.

It is another matter that Mahesh, the man who won the first Grand Slam title for the country, the mixed doubles title with Rika Hiraki of Japan at the French Open in 1997; became the first Indian to be world No.1 even before his partner Leande Paes, made all the four Grand Slam finals in 1999, winning French Open and Wimbledon, won a few Davis Cup ties on his own strength, was not deemed fit for the Khel Ratna award. He has 12 Grand Slam doubles titles, including eight in mixed doubles.

Equally, the panel of eminent sports persons did not validate the candidature of Somdev Devvarman who has won the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games gold, apart from staring in many Davis Cup triumphs. He reached the best singles rank of 62, the best for an Indian man, since 23 of Ramesh Krishnan in 1985. Nobody was presented the Khel Ratna award last year, and that may have provoked the government to spring an unmatched candidate, easily recognised by everyone.

It is equally glaring that Nirupama Sanjeev who was the first Indian woman tennis player to make an impact globally, not just by reaching the second round of Australian Open in 1998, but with a courageous run in the professional circuit, around the world on her own steam, when she threatened to break into the top-100 even before Paes could do so, has not been given Arjuna award. Nirupama still has the best Fed Cup record for the country at 29-14 for most total wins, and 20-8 for most singles wins.

Of course, the other Nirupama of Indian tennis, mother of Davis Cupper Harsh Mankad, and wife of cricketer Ashok Mankad, Nirupama Mankad, had been conferred the Arjuna award (1978-79), for winning the national championship seven times.

There has been no Arjuna award for Indian tennis after Sania was presented the honour in 2004, except for Somdev in 2011, when he was actually over-qualified for it! Equally, there is not a single Dronacharya in Indian tennis. Quite ironically, Akhtar Ali, who had been coaching Indian tennis teams from the time when Ramanathan Krishnan was part of them, was not presented the Dronacharya award, but the Arjuna award in 2000.

Akhtar's son, Zeeshan Ali, who last played for India in Davis Cup against the US in 1994, was presented the Dhyanchand Award for life time achievement last year.

Coaches like Nandan Bal and Enrico Piperno have contributed to dozens of medals and the performance of top players like Paes, Bhupathi and Sania over the years, but have not been given the Dronacharya award. Or for that matter, the former Davis Cup captain Jaidip Mukerjea who was with Paes as the coach in the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, did not get the coach's honour.

Much in contrast, Sushil Kumar and Mary Kom have been able to produce many Dronacharyas in recent years.

The government had been proactive once earlier, and played the trump card in nominating badminton ace Saina Nehwal for the Khel Ratna award in 2010. While it has sprung to life now for one of the best sports stars of the country, the question is what stops it from attempting to set the record straight in so many other cases, and render certain credibility to the awards.

Union Sports Ministry, yes to doping, no to sports !

One thing that I have constantly noticed with the Union Sports Ministry or for that matter its arm, Sports Authority of India, in recent times, is that they do not follow what they preach, with great authority.

Both have such wonderful public relation exercise now that they get away with murder, without batting an eyelid.

And one news that has been doing the rounds recently, by turn in various newspapers, pertains to the inevitability of the dope-tainted coach Yuriy Ogorodnik of Ukraine, guiding the Indian women's athletic relay team for the Rio Olympics.

The coach is 79 years young. The government triumphantly claims that it had cleared the coach six months back. What happened to its policy ?! What happens to the sports code, and the age eligibility criteria ?

If the office bearers of a national federation become incompetent, as per the understanding of the policy makers, once they reach 70 years of age, how does the competent authority expect an athletic coach, who works on the ground, to be energetic and eligible at 79.

The officials cannot escape with a claim that the rule does not apply to a coach, for they were instrumental in stopping the services of the pistol coach Tibor Gonczol, precisely with the same policy.

The Hungarian coach settled in Australia, Tibor changed the face of Indian shooting once he took over in 1993. His prodigy Jaspal Rana won the junior World Championship gold in standard pistol Milan in 1994 and went on to clinch the only gold medal for the country in the Asian Games in Hiroshima in centre fire pistol, the same year.

Even though he was only a pistol coach, Tibor, who died in January 2014, used to address all the shooters whenever required, instilled the best qualities and put them on the path of success.

I recall quoting Jaspal Rana, Samaresh Jung and Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra, when they paid tributes to the genial coach on his death.

‘’He gave life to Indian shooting. It was his effort and vision. Unfortunately, it was very sad that we disowned him when we started getting the good results internationally’’, said Jaspal.

When the SAI did not renew his contract and told him that he was overage, Tibor used to wonder how India was being governed by politicians in their 80s. A valid question for which nobody had any convincing answer.

‘’During the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, I sought his help when I had a problem with my pistol a day before the centre fire pistol match. He arranged a pistol for me then’’, said Samaresh, who had won the David Dixon award for the ‘best athlete’ of the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006, with a clutch of gold medals.

‘’He was the first person to bring in knowledge and put Indian shooting on the right path’’, said Abhinav Bindra.

Once when the customs officials questioned a box of pellets used in air weapons, while clearing the Indian team at an airport, Tibor chewed a pellet to prove that it was not ammunition!

For ten years after he had ceased to be the coach of the Indian team, Tibor Gonczol continued to guide the shooters, who sought his advice, through email and phone. When Jaspal Rana won three gold medals in the Asian Games in Doha in 2006, he was in constant touch with the coach on the phone.

The point is that we quoted the rules for such a great coach, and we are bending it so energetically and with such conviction for a coach who was instrumental in trapping so many of our athletes in the dope web, purely because of his ''negligence''.

The simple question is, when the government is footing the bill, why is that the athletic federation not able to find a competent coach with a good background and record !

Enough about government's mission on anti-doping. Let us move to its more recent inclination that is anti-sports !

Rarely can there be an example when a national sports federation seeks judicial intervention, against the government's ``advice'', to ensure the conduct of an international event.

The overwhelming bias of the Union Sports Ministry towards an illegal faction of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) was evident when it issued an order, making it clear that it was under the direction of the Union Sports Minister, ''not to hold any official event in India''.

The BFI rightly called it ''unnecessary, illegal and arbitrary''. The Karnataka High Court, in its interim stay on the government letter categorically asserted that the communication ''shall not be treated as a bar for considering issue of visa to players and officials to participate in the tournament''.

The South Asian Basketball Association (SABA) championship was successfully conducted in Bengaluru from July 3 to 5, with the Home Ministry being prompt in giving clearance for Visa etc., even before the court could give its direction.

Now the Sports Ministry has conveniently asked the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) which did not even bother to acknowledge the legal faction, to sort out the issue. The Sports Ministry often finds it convenient to fire from someone else's shoulder.

When the watchdogs are sleeping peacefully or willingly barking at the wrong party, it is difficult to keep the authority on the right track.

It was a classic case of reporting in the country's best-sold newspaper, when the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the BFI got away questioning the ''locus standi'' of the president of the BFI, whose faction has been approved by the international basketball federation (FIBA), after it had studied every aspect.

Democracy gains its strength by respecting the Constitution. Otherwise, it would be anarchy. Any breakaway group, without the Constitutional backing, deserves little sympathy, even if it is headed by God.

Who can make the IOA or the Union Sports Ministry see this basic principle of good governance !

Indian basketball: Government tries to pose hurdles, to support illegal faction !

Indian basketball is trying to dribble past the numerous hurdles. Most of it is, self imposed.

The players are in the background, watching the tussle, while the officials, not exactly known for their dribbling skills, are attempting to assert their authority and efficiency.

There are two teams, and only one is following the rules. The other is driving towards anarchy. Imagine an F1 race in which one driver forgets the rules and goes berserk !

The pity is, authorities supposed to impose the rules, have forgotten the rule book. The Indian Olympic Association is a classic example. For it, there is only one team. It did not bother to send an observer for the meeting of one of the factions. It did not waste much time in recognising the other group.

The IOA does precious little for Indian sports, except complicating matters as it has done in a variety of sports disciplines over the years.

The Union Sports Ministry which keeps bringing up the Sports Code, as if it is the bible for Indian sports, does not even bother to refer it, when it becomes inconvenient to do so.

The latest communication from the Sports Ministry to the two factions of Indian basketball, one legal and another illegal, is a classic example of how the whims of fancies of the Union Sports Minister, can dictate the administration of Indian sports.

We pinpoint the Sports Minister because the communication from the Under Secretary to the Government of India, makes it very clear that ''this issues with the approval of Hon'ble MOS(I/C) YA&S''.

The bottom line is, ''the Ministry is not in a position to give recognition to either faction at this stage''.

Maybe, the Sports Ministry is waiting for a more suitable time, when the matter could become more complicated.

The Ministry quotes the IOA recognition for one faction, and the FIBA approval for the other faction. The biggest question doing the basketball circles in the country is, why is that the Sports Ministry which had sent its observers to both the meetings, in Bengaluru and Pune, is not able to take a decision. Also, why is it that it does not refer to the order of the Delhi High Court which allowed the faction elected in Bengaluru to go ahead and function as the BFI.

Fortunately or unfortunately, everyone knows the answer. The hands of the Sports Minister are tied. He is not able to take a decision against a fellow Member of Parliament, Poonam Mahajan of Maharashtra, who has declared herself as the President of the BFI. With the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BFI, Roopam Sharma calling the meeting and holding an election for which she had no legal authority, one faction is actually walking on thin ice. It is a matter of time before it sinks.

However, it wants to put up a face saving exercise with suitable support from the IOA and the Sports Minister.

There is something called the Constitution. If we don't respect that, there will be anarchy. The faction led by Poonam and Roopam, has utter contempt for the Constitution of BFI, as well as the directions of FIBA.

Thus, despite categorically being told as to which was the legal BFI by the FIBA which runs basketball world wide, the faction has continued to claim affiliation to FIBA, FIBA-Asia etc. This despite being warned for earlier illegal actions.

Now, why does the government want both the factions not to act ! It is because, FIBA has asked the BFI to conduct the SABA championship, basically featuring the SAARC countries. The BFI chose to hold it in Bengaluru from July 3 to 5. The originally selected players have been called and the trials would be held to select the team.

As per the advise of FIBA, BFI has looked at all the units, without any discrimination in terms of choosing its panel of selectors, officials etc. However, the leadership of the illegal faction has not been able to digest the turn of events. So, as a last ditch attempt to skittle the event, and thus the process of recovery, it forced the Sports Minister to issue a letter.

''Both factions are advised not to hold any official event in India, and not to use the logo of this Ministry or Sports Authority of India until office bearers of BFI are recognised by the Government'', the letter says.

Can the factions hold official events abroad ?! Is the BFI recognised, and only its office bearers are not recognised ? Of course, the Sports Ministry has no authority on the subject. That is why it is only advising. It has every right to tell the factions not to use the logo of the Ministry or SAI.

It may be a subtle hint, not to antagonise the Sports Ministry, but there may also be an attempt to stop the units that have BJP government, from fielding their players.

What a shame ! The officials are there to ensure the welfare of the players, not to spoil their career. But rarely do officials care for sports persons in India.

Why blame them ?! Do the players care for themselves, as a community? Together they will be a force that can run the sport, in a healthy way. But, there is rarely any unity among sports persons in India. That is how the officials are able to get away with their autocratic and mostly illegal ways.

It is a sad turn of events at a time when Indian basketball was trying to stand firm on its feet with sponsorship support to the tune of about 10 crore rupees every year, from IMG-Reliance. When novices, with little interest about the welfare of the players, take the law in their hands, and are supported by the government, you can only expect chaos.

For most of us who rejoiced at Olympic silver medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore getting elected as a Member of Parliament and then being sworn in as the Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, it is a stark realisation that in Indian sports, things only go from bad to worse, no matter who rules !

The reality is that Sports Ministry backs those power-hungry people, who have no legal foundation, and shows scant respect for the Sports Code. It is a pity.

Indian basketball, in an unholy mess !

''Power does not corrupt men, fools, however, if they get to a position of power, corrupt power. ---George Bernard Shaw.

Indian basketball is in a mess. The foreign experts have returned home because there was a fear, among other things, that the federation may not pay their salary or pay rent for their accommodation.

The same federation had been meeting their expenses to the tune of about a crore and a half of rupees in a financial year, earlier.

It is not a question of the federation suddenly running short of money. There has been enough of it thanks to the overwhelming support of IMG-Reliance, a real lifeline to Indian basketball.

The money has frozen, because of the dispute in the federation. With two factions claiming control of the federation, the bank account has also been frozen. IMG Reliance has refused to pay the quarterly instalment in April, till clarity was reached about the legality of BFI.

It has meant no salary for the staff of the federation, no petrol for the vehicles, and some of the payment made towards the conduct of the Federation Cup in Pune, not being cleared as the cheques reportedly bounced.

From a time when the Indian team showed signs of life when it beat the mighty China in the Asian Championship, Indian basketball has plunged into despair. All this, because of something as simple as choosing the venue for the Annual General Meeting.

Officials who do not even bother to be present in the National championship wanted to be present in strength in Pune for the Federation Cup, meant only for the top eight teams in the country. They wanted the AGM to be in Pune, and not in Bengaluru, after having agreed for it.

There was nothing wrong either in trying to have Pune as the venue, or bring a novice in sports administration like Poonam Mahajan, a Member of Parliament in Maharashtra, as the president of the BFI. But, the Constitution of the BFI needs to be respected, and procedures followed.

If the faction headed by the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the BFI, Roopam Sharma, was sure of its majority, which it was able to flaunt, perhaps because it was believed to have the money and political strength, what stopped it from winning the election in Bengaluru. Why is that they could command the majority in Pune, but were perhaps not so sure of it in Bengaluru. Maybe, it is because even a crocodile is powerless when it comes out of water.

It was a primitive scenario, where the man with the stick, claims the buffalo ! ''Jiski latti, uski bhains''.

With the vested interests, trying to usurp power, in a hurry and in an illegal fashion, the game has been shaken. Even though there is no proof of it in the open, except claims, the international basketball federation (FIBA) has refused to recognise both the factions, headed by K. Govindaraj and Poonam Mahajan. Worse, it has announced that no Indian team would be able to compete internationally till the issue was resolved.

In such a bleak scenario, the much maligned Indian judiciary has shown a guiding light by acknowledging that the faction headed by K. Govindaraj which was elected in Bengaluru on March 27, had the constitutional power to move ahead and discharge its duties.

Honestly, it was a simple situation. The outgoing president had the authority according to the constitution to call for the election and decide the venue and time. More importantly, the former CEO was offered the key post of the secretary general of the federation in the new team.

It is an old story that after having accepted Bengaluru and March 27 as the place and date for the AGM, and communication had been initiated accordingly by the then secretary general Ajay Sud, the CEO unilaterally started issuing circulars stating that Pune would be the venue and the AGM would be on March 28.

The attempt was to strengthen the federation with political influence, but the stark reality is that the stupid exercise has taken the life out of the game in the country. What a shame.

While the uncertainty of the international federation could be understood, as so many factors had to be taken into consideration before a national federation was recognised, the reluctance of the Union Sports Ministry and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to see what is right and wrong, has been tragic. Both had the powers to douse the issue at the start itself, if they had wanted to respect the constitution, and proper procedures. But, both turned a blind eye towards the issue.

The joke doing the rounds is that both organisations that claim to carry the Olympic Movement forward, are blind in both the eyes, when it suits them.

At a time when IMG Reliance was pumping about 10 crore rupees into Indian basketball every year, it is tragic that the game in the country has hit the reverse gear because of selfish attitude and narrow minded approach.

As always, George Bernard Shaw was brilliant, but he perhaps overlooked the possibility of women claiming equal rights, in the modern era !

Sailing fraternity aghast to find novices figuring in TOPS

The sailing fraternity has found gaping holes in the selection of
athletes for the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), and has
questioned the liberal funding for novices through the scheme that is
meant for the best of the elite athletes.

While most of the leading sports persons in various disciplines are
just about getting the funds from the government scheme, in which selection is
supposed to be ''purely on merit'', two sailors who have got into the
Olympic boats in the 49er class only recently, have been drafted into
the scheme.

The two sailors, Varsha Gautham and Aishwarya Nedunchezhiyan, had won
the bronze medal in a field of six countries in the Asian Games in
Incheon last year, but in the 29er class, which does not figure in the
Olympic fleet.

The duo had a reality check in the ISAF Sailing World Cup in Miami,
early this year when they finished last among 40 teams, in the 49er
class.

In the World Championship in Santander, Spain, last year, Varsha and
Aishwarya had placed 53rd among 55 teams. It was also a qualifying
event for the Rio Olympics.

Subsequently in another World Cup in Abu Dhabi in November, the pair
finished 17th and last.

The Olympic field in the 49er class is supposed to have 20 countries,
and ten of them have already qualified from the World Championship in
Spain.

The Indian pair is supposed to be eyeing one of the 10 spots from
among 23 countries likely to be in the race for Olympic qualification
in the event.

While conceding that they were not against the young sailors getting
support, which helped them being based in Europe and compete regularly
in international events, the seasoned sailors questioned as to how
the two sneaked into a scheme that promised podium in the Olympics, at
the expense of more deserving classes.

Probing further, it has been pointed out that the men's 49er class has
also been supported by the government, and one of the two sailors in
that category happened to be the son of a council member of the
Yachting Association of India (YAI).

The two men, Ganapathy Kelapanda and Varun Thakkar, had also struggled
to avoid the last spot in the World Cup in Miami in January this year,
and placed 56th out of 58 boats. In the World Championship last year,
they were 77th out of 80.

While mysteriously keeping out such outstanding sports persons like
Leander Paes, Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza, who have very realistic
chances of winning medals in the Rio Olympics, perhaps because they
are globe-trotting millionaire tennis players, the government has
apparently played into the hands of wily schemers who have taken it
for a nice sail, in pleasant sea breeze !

Indian tennis needs to revive a strong under-18 circuit and strengthen the events for men and women

We all tend to appreciate the value of something, more in its absence.

Not many were willing to discuss the Indian under-18 tennis circuit, till it was banished from the calendar for 2015.

Suddenly a lot of people draw your attention to the absence of the under-18 circuit, in an otherwise robust junior calendar. You also quickly realise that after the abolition of the Indian domestic circuit for men and women many years ago, this was another retrograde step.

It is like removing college education and then taking away even the option of higher secondary, for the student community. Just imagine what we would be left with.

There is absolutely no doubt that in a vast country like India there should be thousands of tennis courts available for public, and a number of tournaments that would sustain the enthusiasm of the players at all levels.

By focusing only on the elite who play at the international level, tennis has become a product for the elite market in the Indian community. It is a shame.

Considering the cost of playing the game, and considering a small thing as the cost of stringing a racquet which can easily be Rs.1000 depending on the quality of string you choose, the number of tournaments offering Rs.50,000 as total prize money, is indeed a poor reflection of Indian tennis. Now, they have introduced tournaments offering Rs.30,000 as total prize money.

When the players joined hands and asked the All India Tennis Association (AITA) to have more tournaments offering Rs.2.5 lakh prize money, instead of Rs.1.25 lakh, about two decades ago, the whole domestic circuit was taken away from them. The lack of unity among the players, and the precious little that the players body has done after having been revived some time back, has been a big let down for Indian tennis.

The likes of Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi, Sania Mirza and Somdev Devvarman can make Indian tennis healthy, by inviting corporates to support a strong domestic circuit. It has to be conceded that Sania Mirza has a tennis academy against her name with world class infrastructure and a promise of world class coaches and trainers.

Nearly two decades ago, Gadgil Western Group (GWG) ran an Indian circuit with an investment of one crore rupees every year. Coach Nandan Bal had played a significant role in roping the sponsor for the benefit of tennis in the country. It ran for just a year and a half, before lack of returns saw the title sponsor who was supporting about 22 tournaments a year apart from the Satellite circuit international tournaments, abruptly pull the plug.

Today, considering the $430,000 ATP Tour event in Chennai, a few Challengers including the one offering $125,000 total prize money for men and women in Delhi, a number of international events for men and women, offering $10,000 to $25,000 in prize money, apart from the ones handling millions of dollars like the International Premium Tennis League (IPTL) and the Champions Tennis League (CTL), it should not be difficult to find a purse of about six crore rupees and run a healthy domestic circuit for men and women. Instead, we have Rs.50,000 events, and a few more events that offer prize money ranging from Rs.100,000 to Rs.500,000.

The problem is that if we mock at the small events, even they may vanish from the calendar, as nobody makes a noise. What we are attempting is to show the disparity. The millions of dollars are being pumped into international tennis and precious little for domestic tennis.

From that point of view, I am happy to hear the voices of anguish in the tennis fraternity about the absence of the under-18 circuit in the country. A brainwave was the reason behind removing the circuit by the end of last year.

The argument was that players after turning 16 should directly be competing in the events for men and women. Wish they had plenty of that, at least.

Even for entries into the ITF junior events, the players need their national under-18 ranking, if they don't have international rank. Thanks to Pakistan hosting two of their ITF junior events in Delhi last year, we nearly had a dozen ITF junior tournaments. But for a country of the size of India, it offers limited opportunities.

Moreover, not many can pay $65, about Rs.4,000 as entry for an ITF junior tournament, if they know that their chances of crossing the first qualifying round is not great, that is if they manage to get entry.

Also, when players want to join colleges in the US, or elsewhere, the national under-18 rank plays a significant role in securing their admission, apart from tennis scholarship.

Now that the Indian calendar, which had more than 100 national ranking tournaments for the under-18 group last year, does not have one, aggrieved people point at the study by the ITF that a 17-year-old should play about 32-38 tournaments in a year, with an aim to have 80-90 singles matches, and about 35-55 doubles matches.

Earlier, we used to wonder why our juniors, ranked in the top-10 of the world, were not able to break into the top-100 in the men's and women's rankings. Now, it has been a struggle to have juniors in the top-100. Only the likes of Sumit Nagal, Pranjala Yadlapalli and Mihika Yadav have that status at the moment.

Somehow, we have got our equations totally wrong. The main reason is that tennis has become an exclusive sport. Only the rich can play the game, and the coaches never tire of stating that those kids lack the hunger to work hard and excel. The fact is, the talented kids don't even get a chance to touch a racquet, except through some honourable ventures like the one run by Chandigarh that taps rural talent.

Thankfully, I do hear that there was a meeting during the Fed Cup in Hyderabad, when world No.1 doubles star Sania Mirza led India from group-II to group-I in the Asia-Oceania zone, in which it was decided to revive the under-18 circuit. Already, almost half the year has run out, and it is high time that the authorities swung into action promptly to put things in place.

If India wants to boast of the second highest number of tennis players after the US, which a study might have projected as a strong possibility, there is an urgent need for thousands of courts with different surface and hundreds of tournaments, catering to all levels, around the country.

Delhi does conduct a lot of events, but Maharashtra has set a fine example by roping in a title sponsor to support hundreds of its events at all levels with cash and kind. Many other units may have their own little ways. But, in a country as big as India, it is quite disturbing that there are tournaments for men and women, offering a total prize money of about 60 lakh rupees, just about $100,000, if you study the AITA calendar for this season.

Thomas Bach, the visit of the IOC president bares Indian sports

Flying kites is a national entertainment. The colourful kites decorate the sky, particularly adding to the charm of the festive atmosphere. The focus even during such an enjoyable exercise, is cutting each other ! There may be enough space in the sky, but the joy is in having a dominant presence.

The idea of hosting the Olympics in 2024 was one such attempt at kite flying. There was so much excitement associated with the visit of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach and his meeting with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi that it became a foregone conclusion that the discussion between the two leaders would be about India bidding to host the Games.

As the IOC president put it succinctly, the IOA was still ''finding its feet'', after serving the suspension. It had to regain its focus on improving the success of the Indian athletes in the international arena, especially in the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016. It had to first achieve ''unity in diversity''.

Yet, it was clear that it was not the IOA but the government which was keen to probe the possibilities of making an Olympic bid, from the reports emerging on the subject. Otherwise, it was difficult to explain the reported visit of the secretary of the Union Sports Ministry to the IOC headquarters in Lausanne along with the IOA president to invite Thomas Bach to India.

Even though it was easy to jump to conclusion about the intent of the government, it has to be remembered that Thomas Bach has already met more than 100 heads of State among the 205 member countries of the Olympic Movement, after becoming the IOC president in September 2013.

Maybe, the concerned parties wanted to strengthen the idea that Indian sport was a ''sleeping giant''. And it required the expertise of the IOC to find ways to awaken the sleeping giant. Whatever it may be, the message from the IOC was clear.

In the press conference that he addressed in Delhi after meeting the Prime Minister and before he hurriedly left the country, Thomas Bach did not utter a word about India hosting the Olympics till a question was raised on the subject.

''Of course, we were aware of the speculation. We were surprised for different reasons. It was a little bit too quick for India to have a successful Olympic Games in 2024. We were asking the question. The Prime Minister is sharing the same opinion'', said Bach.

What was clear was that the PM was surely looking to organise the Games but knew that such a venture required the government to be ''well prepared'' and that it was a ''bit difficult'' to propose a successful candidature by September this year.

''We will stay in contact for the future. For 2024, we share the same opinion'', clarified Bach.

What emerged from the dialogue was a tripartite agreement, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), between the Union Government, the IOA and the IOC for the benefit of Indian sports.

''It was a constructive, good day. It was great to be back, first time as the IOC president. It gave us the opportunity to welcome again IOA, after the suspension ended last year. We had the opportunity to discuss the future of Indian sports that is bright'', said Bach.

First things first. India has to focus on athletes and help them fare better in international events, by providing them the best support in terms of training and coaching. The focus has to be on ensuring their qualification and participation in the Olympics in Rio next year.

''Athletes are at the heart of the Olympic Movement'', reminded Bach.

''One year after suspension, the IOA is still finding their feet. They first need to discuss and find their way for future success and how best to support athletes'', said Bach.

A solid foundation, from the assessment of Bach, was laid to address all the issues.

To move forward, different stakeholders need to recognise their responsibilities and fulfil them. First and foremost, the IOA has to respect its revised Constitution.

''Meeting the Prime Minister was excellent. It gave us an opportunity to express our appreciation of the Prime Minister and the Indian people for the exemplary way in helping Nepal with such a humanitarian spirit. We are full of admiration for the Indian government and the Indian people. IOC will assist Nepal when it comes to rebuilding the sports infrastructure and the Olympic Movement, after this tragedy'', said Bach, as he admired the spontaneous support of India for Nepal after it was ravaged by earthquake.

Coming back to Indian sports, Bach admitted that the Indian Prime Minister was well aware of sports being the key to building a strong society.

''The PM is very much determined to promote sports. He knows the value of sports in education and its role towards a cohesive society. In sport, all are equal. It is a great uniting force. You look for personal achievements by respecting the common rules'', said Bach, even as he talked about ideas of making sports mandatory in the educational system and making physical activity a must for all kids.

''The PM is clear that he would use all his authority and dynamism to wake up the sleeping giant. The IOC will be happy to assist. With a population of 1.2 billion people, and 80 million of them youth, India has a huge potential, in particular in sports. India could be a powerhouse in sports'', he said.

The IOC will assist in terms of coaching, technology for the athletes, and by providing training for administrators and coaches. It will also attempt to support Indian sports through the world wide Olympic television channel that is in the process of being launched.

In theory, there is never any dearth of words to support autonomy of sports.

''The Prime Minister is very much in favour of autonomy. Autonomy not just in sports but in the whole society'', Bach observed.

It may be recalled that it was because of government's intrusion into sports that India was kept out of the Olympic Movement for more than a year.

''The Prime Minister has invited us to have one of our future meetings here in India and to keep bilateral contact with him. We appreciate both invitations. It was a very good day for sports in India. We are looking forward to a strong Olympic team from India in the Olympic Games in Rio'', said Bach.

Moving on, Bach said that good governance and autonomy were two sides of the same coin. He indicated that with the agreement of last year, mutual respect had clearly been achieved, and the Prime Minister had expressed great satisfaction.

''We saw improvement (in the IOA), but need to improve more. There is a new constitution. It has to work. Everybody has to respect. I am very positive. The message got across'', he said.

When asked whether the IOC was aware of the undercurrents in the IOA, and that there was a ''no confidence motion'' brewing right in front of their nose, Bach said that he was not aware of it, but was quick to add that it was ''not new to India''.

''Even without knowing, we were sending the message and the appeal for unity. The motto of my presidential campaign was Unity in Diversity. It fits well with the IOA. Diversity makes India so rich. The IOA, national federations, State Olympic committees, they all need to focus on the athletes, make athletes successful and find unity among yourselves'', he said.

Unfortunately, in Indian sports, the athlete is the last and least in priority, while unity is a distant dream.

Indian basketball: It is not exactly a number game !

Indian basketball looks to be compensating for not being in the news for many years. Despite the cricket World Cup keeping every Indian glued to the fortunes of the Indian side, some newspapers have been able to provide the big headlines to the ongoing imbroglio.

With the Indian cricket team literally bleeding blue in Sydney in the semifinals on Thursday, some of the country's sporting concern is expected to be diverted towards the Annual General Meeting of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), scheduled to be held in Bengaluru on March 27.

Normally, the AGM is a routine affair and does not generate much interest. However, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the BFI, Roopam Sharma, has provided an unexpected twist by calling an AGM in Pune on March 28. Since, the CEO has been handling a lot of resources over the last three years, thanks to the benevolence of Reliance, a lot of people have thoughtfully sided with her.

However, the president of BFI, Rajdeep Singh Gill, is the Constitutional authority of the BFI, especially in terms of calling the AGM or in the more serious business of conducting the election.

The Union Sports Ministry_which incidentally has not granted annual recognition for BFI for 2015 as the federation had failed to amend its Constitution by incorporating the age and tenure class for the office bearers_has nominated Satyajit Sankrit as the government observer for the meeting in Bengaluru.

The International basketball federation, FIBA, has also appointed Mageshwaran Saba as the observer for the meeting in Bengaluru.

In a letter from Beirut, the FIBA regional director for Asia, Hagop Khajirian has conveyed that Saba would attend the meeting as an observer, and has intimated the same to the president of FIBA Asia, Saud Bin Ali Al-Thani.

The BFI president has already quoted the Constitution of the federation as well as the government guidelines in the form of Sports Code 2011, in emphasising that the CEO had no authority to appoint a Returning Officer or call a meeting in Pune on March 28. So, that meeting has already been labeled as `illegal'.

Only 44 names of the State and unit representatives were sent for the meeting in Bengaluru and that will serve as the electoral college.

The nominations for the various posts are as follows:

Presidnet : K. Govindaraj; Senior Vice president: Teja Singh Dhaliwal; Vice-presidents: Ajay Sud, Dr. DR Saini, Shafiq Sheikh, Bhupendra Shahi, L. Suren; Secretary general: Chander Mukhi Sharma; Associate secretaries: Shakti Sinh Gohil, Jugraj Singh, Gautam Ganguly, Fr. Ralin De Souza, T. Chandalraya Naidu; Treasurer: V. Ragothaman; Executive members: Manish Sharma, Ashley Do Rosario, TA Andrapathi, TVSN Prasad, Norman Isaac and Dr. Prakash Paquiaraj Sandou.

Indeed, it is a fair argument that the president was not in a position to accept nominations for the meeting in Pune, which was called without his consent as declared by the secretary general Ajay Sud, who had since resigned on moral grounds.

Ironically, as part of the amendments of the Constitution which was proposed months earlier, the BFI will remove the posts of CEO and deputy CEO. Only two CEOs, but poles apart in terms of how they executed their job for the welfare of the players.

It may be unfair to blame one person for all the ills of the BFI, but Harish Sharma, for whom the CEO post was created, was too much of an angel, and it was tough for anyone, to follow his foot steps, including his wife.

In the present context, it is indeed a very clear case of the CEO getting carried away by the power and financial clout, and being tempted to acquire the political influence, in her earnest attempt to hijack the federation.

Thus, it may eventually be proven to everyone that it is after all not a number game. For, numbers often do not tell the truth.

Indian basketball: Cat jumps out of the bag !

In the ongoing power struggle in the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), the cat is out of the bag !

Poonam Mahajan, the daughter of former Union Minister Pramod Mahajan, who was shot dead by his brother at his home in 2006, has been nominated for the post of president by the faction masterminded by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of BFI, Roopam Sharma.

The 34-year-old Poonam, elected Member of Parliament, of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from Mumbai North Central constituency, was inducted into Indian basketball straightaway as the president of the Maharashtra association in January. So, within three months, she would be the president of BFI, out of nowhere, if her case gets ratified.

Roopam herself would be the secretary general of the federation while Mukut Medhi, the vociferous member from Assam, has been nominated for the post of treasurer.

Much in contrast, the group headed by the president of BFI, RS Gill, who has served three terms in office, has nominated the senior vice president, K. Govindraj of Karnataka, for the post of president. Govindraj has been the secretary of Karnataka association for more than 15 years. He has also been president of the Karnataka Olympic Association. He has the experience, among others, of hosting the Asian basketball championship in Bengaluru.

Chander Mukhi Sharma of Chandigarh and V. Raghothaman of Puducherry have been nominated for the post of secretary general and treasurer respectively, by the group headed by RS Gill, who had combined strongly with the late Harish Sharma, in projecting a healthy image of the game.

Incidentally, the president alone is empowered by the Constitution of the BFI to decide on the election.

The secretary general of BFI, Ajay Sud who quit on being forced to change the venue of the election from Bengaluru to Pune, made a categorical announcement that he had made the change without the approval of the president, and had allowed his authority to be usurped by a 'scanned signature''. His çlarification has been conveniently sidelined as that of ''Himachal Pradesh secretary general'' by the CEO, while she has vehemently questioned the authority of the president to accept the resignation of Ajay Sud !

Moreover, the president has also been accused of not entertaining part of the electoral college. Interestingly, most of the member associations nominated members to both the meetings in Bengaluru on March 27 and Pune on March 28. Some of them sent the nominations only for the Pune meeting to the BFI office, for which the president had not advised any notice.

Moreover, the president was clear that only elected members of the state could be nominated, whereas people like Nandini Basappa of Karnataka has been nominated from Assam, and Ashok Rangeen of Delhi, from Rajasthan !

It is also pointed out that most of the members, with honourable exceptions, supporting the CEO group have done precious little for basketball in their state, and hardly field teams for the national championships. However, in a democratic set up, there is an equality of right for competence and mediocrity, experience and youthful arrogance, that cannot be questioned.

For sure, running a national federation is not a bed of roses. It is a struggle to conduct every national championship, and the numerous age group events, apart from building the various national teams. With the rich resources from Reliance, ensuring a better life for the players at least during the national championships, the biggest challenge of rising resources is not faced by the current set up of BFI.

That explains the urge of all and sundry to jump into the administration, to control and capitalise on the readily available resources. Like the overwhelming support of the government, the beauty of Indian sports is that every solution leads to many problems !

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the Union Sports Ministry have the power to set the house in order, but they are also often driven by the political will and vested interests.

In such a scenario, it may be difficult to ensure justice. But, hope springs eternal, and miracles do happen.

Why blame anyone, when the scriptures had spelt long ago that anarchy would spread its tentacles in the Kali Yuga, reducing morality and speeding up the degeneration of civilisation !

Indian basketball: A dream gone sour !

The rigid stand of the Chief Executive Officer of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI), Roopam Sharma, has further strengthened the division of Indian basketball.

The blame is being pinned on the CEO, even though two parties are pulling the federation in two opposite directions, as it was she who has gone on to hijack the powers of the federation after it was agreed by the senior members of the federation to have the Annual General Meeting in Bengaluru on March 27.

Interestingly, there is a note prepared by the secretary general, Ajay Sud, in which all the eight officials, including the CEO and deputy CEO, Prem Pal, have signed, agreeing to the original venue and date.

President RS Gill, K. Govindaraj, Teja Singh Dhaliwal, Ajay Sud, Dr. DR Saini and Ashok Rangeen were the other members who were party to the decision taken at the meeting on February 26, in Delhi.

''The meeting was chaired by Sh. RS Gill, President, Basketball Federation of India. Sh. RS Gill requested all members present to work together to form a new body, for which elections are due in March 2015. After a detailed discussion, it was resolved that the meeting will be held at Bangaluru on 27^th March 2015'', reads the note signed by the secretary general, which has been endorsed by all the eight senior members of BFI with their signature..

With two venues for the AGM in Bengaluru and Pune, on two dates March 27 and 28, there are two sets of documents, including the electoral college, which has caused considerable anguish in some quarters.

The electoral college, as published by the CEO on the BFI website has 62 names, whereas the one issued by the President has only 44. The rest of the names had apparently been sent only to the BFI office. Moreover, the president had restricted the nominations by the state units only to ''elected members of the respective association''.

Actually, the CEO has pleaded with the president in a letter dated March 11, seeking to correct the validity of nominations, requesting him to ''kindly circulate the revised notification in this regards to all affiliated units urgently''.

There is a strong communication from the general secretary of the Assam Basketball Association, Mukut Medhi, a vice president of BFI, written a week later, suggesting ''ulterior motive'' by the president and his ''cohorts''.

''Your arbitrary actions/decisions are bound to create friction among the members and divide BFI further. They are definitely not in the interest of BFI, nor the sport that we endeavour to promote. This also sends a wrong signal to our partners, IMG Reliance, who are the major source of our finance'', writes Medhi, in his letter to the president.

Well, the finance from IMG Reliance, to the tune of a few crore rupees every year, is already a dream gone sour for the players, even though millions are being spent in conducting the various national championships and national camps from the fund.

The former secretary general Harish Sharma for whom the post of CEO was formed after he had completed two terms, had announced the distribution of about 36 lakh rupees to the players, including juniors, and coaches, in January 2011. The graded payment with the leading players getting Rs.30,000 per month, the second line, Rs.20,000 and the juniors Rs.10,000 was awarded in retrospective effect from October 2010, during the presentation ceremony of the national championship in Delhi.

However, as one player put it succinctly, the payments to the players was stopped abruptly, ''when Harish Sharma was hospitalised''.

The much loved Harish who single-mindedly strove for the welfare of the players died of tuberculosis in brain in February 2012. His wife Roopam was requested, by the BFI president RS Gill and his team, to take charge of the post of CEO in March 2012. The steering committee's decision to draft her was ratified by the AGM then.

Roopam on her part, promised to uphold the high standards set by her husband in promoting the game, when she took charge as the CEO.

Much in contrast, months later, it was decided to abolish the posts of CEO and deputy CEO by the BFI, and part of the current power struggle has been triggered by such an attempt. The basic friction at this stage is caused by the move of the president to amend the Constitution of the federation, to bring it back to its original form.

Otherwise, it is difficult to fathom the reluctance of the CEO to take over the reins of the federation as the secretary general. In fact, the Gill faction has kept the post of secretary general still open for Roopam, even though she has other designs.

She may not take a salary from BFI, as Roopam is working in Indian Airlines, but it is felt that there is a lot of expenses on the CEO, running into a few lakh rupees every year, and the deputy CEO who is also paid a handsome salary apart from perks.

In trying to extend a strong support for Harish Sharma, the BFI had inadvertently bequeathed a lot of powers to the present CEO. If you ask for trouble, you invariably get it.

Even though the Union government has responded to the request of BFI for an observer for the election, ''to be held in Pune'', it has addressed the communication to the secretary general. The government generally deals only with the secretary general or the president. The position of CEO is a rare new phenomenon in some sports federations. Looking at the present development, the idea of CEO may not find much favour, owing to the considerable complications, even though it opens new avenues for people to hold on to power.

On the other hand, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has taken note of the meeting in Pune, and written back to the CEO, even though Gill and his team are persuading the concerned parties to realise that they alone have the Constitutional authority to conduct the AGM and the related meetings, in Bengaluru.

The plot should thicken soon, as it is almost time to finalise the nominations for various posts. It is surprising why nobody has taken the matter to court as yet.

Maybe, it is because Indian basketball has temporarily stopped being played on a court with distinct lines.

There is no doubt that Indian basketball is indeed a dream gone sour !

Indian basketball, split explicit !

Indian basketball that had stood united for long, is a divided house today.

The president of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) RS Gill, a
retired police officer, and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Roopam
Sharma, have issued different circulars that have caught the members
by surprise.

In effect, the Annual General Meeting of the BFI has been scheduled to
be held in Bengaluru on March 27 and in Pune on March 28, by the two
factions.

While there is no doubt that it would be convenient for everyone concerned
to hold the AGM and a series of meetings in Pune, on the eve of the
Federation Cup to be held there from March 29, it was originally
everyone’s accepted idea to host the meeting in Bengaluru on March 27.

In fact, after a meeting of the leading office bearers of the
federation including the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) it was
unanimously agreed to elevate the senior vice president of BFI, K.
Govindaraj as the president and to have CEO Roopam Sharma as the
secretary general.

Quite significantly, it was also decided in the meeting that the post
of the CEO would be abolished as it was basically meant to accommodate
the late Harish Sharma after he had completed two terms as the
secretary general, and was not eligible to continue further in that
post as per the government guidelines.

On the death of Harish Sharma, his wife Roopam Sharma was elected as
the CEO in March 2012, Prem Pal Singh had been serving as the
deputy CEO from the time of Harish. There has been a power struggle for quite some time, as
the financial control apparently rested with the CEO with IMG-Reliance
pumping a few crores of rupees every year for the development of the game.

The attempted amendment of the BFI Constitution to scratch the posts of CEO and deputy CEO has been hanging fire for nearly two years.

Meanwhile, a communication to the members was sent on February 28 about the AGM,
with a promise that the details would follow shortly, as advised by the BFI
president. However, the secretary general of the BFI, Ajay Sud, sent a
circular on March 2, stating that the AGM would be held in Pune on
March 28. Perturbed at having to go against the original understanding and 
directive of the president, the secretary general tendered his resignation the same
day, after sending the circular.

‘’On moral ground and taking responsibility for what has happened, I
extend my resignation . . . ‘’, wrote Ajay Sud, in his communication
to the president, with copies to all the members of the association.

He has since revealed that he had allowed his signature to be used for
the second circular.

''I was pressured by some people to change the venue of meetings to Pune 
for which I gave my consent without the approval of President under 
my scanned signatures on 2nd March 2015. As this action of mine was 
not according to my conscience and moral values. . . 
I resigned from the post of Secretary General'', clarified
Ajay Sud on Thursday.

The president RS Gill, who has served three terms in
office and will be stepping aside after the AGM, took charge of the
situation by sending the circulars to the members and also appointing
a Returning Officer for the election to be held in Bengaluru on March
27, as he derived the powers to do so in the absence of the secretary general, 
as per the Constitution of the BFI.

However, the BFI with its headquarters in Delhi, swung into action and
called the actions of the president as ‘illegal’ and
‘unconstitutional’. It has also sought the intervention of the Union
Sports Ministry and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA), stressing
that the president had no authority to act the way he had done. 

‘’Under the given circumstances, the President should have called for
an emergency meeting of the Executive Board to discuss the status and
to take the consent of the General House’’, wrote CEO Roopam Sharma,
emphasising that she had the ‘’sole legal authority to represent BFI
including all correspondence as per the constitution of BFI’’.

Of course, the BFI Constitution is clear on the subject and categorically gives the 
power to the president, to act the way he has done.

With the communication channels between the two power centres
irreparably broken, the members have now been
torn apart, and wonder where they should head for the AGM.

It is understood that the whole unpleasant scenario has been caused
owing to the spontaneous attempt to accommodate a young political
personality as the head of the federation, possibly to channelise the power of the Union
Government !

The character of the Sports Ministry, which keeps referring to the Sports Code 
at the drop of a hat,  will be put to the acid test now.