Row over shifting badminton from Shillong escalates
SHILLONG: The controversy surrounding the shifting of badminton from Meghalaya is refusing to die down. In fact, it is only swelling with each passing day. In a major development on Wednesday, working president of the Meghalaya State Olympic Association (MSOA), John F Kharshiing informed that the State Government is mulling to withdraw from co-hosting the upcoming 12th South Asian Games in protest against shifting of badminton from Shillong to Guwahati.
The threat by the State Government has the potential to throw the upcoming SAG into disarray considering the fact that the prestigious event is scheduled to commence in less than a month’s time.
In a letter addressed to Indian Olympic Association President, N Ramachandran and Director General Sports Authority of India, Injeti Srinivas among others, Kharshiing said that MSOA has been informed by senior State Government officials that Meghalaya was exploring the possibility of completely withdrawing from hosting the multinational event in view of the shifting of badminton displine from the State.
Kharshiing added that a high level meeting of State Government officials in this regard is scheduled to be held in the next few days and a final decision on the matter is expected to be taken in the meeting.
Meghalaya was originally allotted eight disciplines namely badminton, table tennis, boxing, archery, judo, taekwondo, wushu and women’s football while Assam was scheduled to host the remaining 15 disciplines of the 12th SAG.
With the shifting of badminton, Meghalaya is now left with only seven disciplines and has been robbed of the opportunity to host India’s top shuttlers.
In view of the fresh development, Kharshiing urged the IOA chief and others to intervene into the matter in order to ensure that the Games are conducted smoothly.
Earlier on Tuesday, president of the Meghalaya State Badminton Association (MSBA), W Kharshiing had cried foul over the shifting of the discipline from Shillong and even went on to blame former Assam minister and president of Assam Badminton Association, Himanta Biswa Sarma among others for the change in venue.
The MSOA and MSBA members felt that the badminton event was shifted on flimsy grounds.
Badminton has been shifted from Shillong due to the supposed shortcoming in the warm up area for the shuttlers at the NEHU, SAI indoor (Contd on P-10)
State mulls…
(Contd from P-1) facility, which was scheduled to host the event. The Games Technical Conduct Committee (GTCC) felt that the concrete flooring at the warm up area would lead to injuries to shuttlers.
Ironically, according to Dr Kharshiing, the DTRP Indoor Stadium at RG Barua Sports Complex in Guwahati, which has been selected as an alternate venue for badminton, also has concrete flooring with synthetic carpet laid on it.
