Olympians appeal to allow Mumbai teams in nationals ›

We must not let Mumbai kids lose out on the opportunity to represent Mumbai at the nationals... Else that will be the final nail in the coffin for Mumbai hockey VIREN RASQUINHA, Olympian

MUMBAI:TWELVE Olympians from the city have appealed to Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju and senior Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and Hockey India (HI) officials to restore Mumbai Hockey Association’s (MHA) right to participate in national championships as a city team instead of being merged with Maharashtra state teams.

HI, as per IOA’S ‘one state, one association’ policy, asked MHA to get affiliated as a district unit of Hockey Maharashtra. MHA has accepted this.

The Olympians fear this would deprive many players from the city of a chance to play in the nationals. “As former hockey players, who have represented India, we seek your intervention to save Mumbai hockey and ensure that the city continues to be a nerve centre for hockey in the country,” they said in a letter.

“It is our fervent plea that Mumbai be allowed to continue its present independent status with direct affiliation to Hockey

India as a Full Member,” said the appeal signed by Dhanraj Pillay, MM Somaya, Joqauim Carvalho, Mervyn Fernandis, Marcellus Gomes, Balbir Singh Grewal, Gurbax Singh Grewal, Viren Rasquinha, Iqbaljit Singh, Eliza Nelson, Selma Dsilva and Margaret Toscano.

“Most employers in Mumbai seek participation in nationals as a base line qualification for recruitment. With reduction in numbers of eligible Mumbai players these organisations would be reluctant to recruit players and may not want to maintain teams. A rough estimate is that the reduction of Mumbai players in the National Championship would be between 30-50%,” the Olympians said.

Somaya said concerns over the negative impact of this move on Mumbai hockey prompted them to make this appeal. “In cricket, the Lodha commission had recommended one-state, one-vote system. But BCCI along with affected state units jointly and finally convinced the Supreme Court to allow more than one unit in some states,” said Somaya.

MHA honorary secretary Ram Singh Rathor said: “MHA administered activities in suburbs, Thane and Palghar besides Mumbai city. Earlier 18 players used to be chosen from these four regions to represent Mumbai in the nationals. Now there will be four district units and thus four teams will participate in Hockey Maharashtra’s state championship.”

He said they are in the process of registering three more district units for Mumbai Suburban, Thane and Palghar. “The interest of hockey players is paramount for us. This (new affiliation) does not change much as we were only associate member with HI.”