Cagers worried over BFI ban

Deepankar Sharda

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 17

As the officials of the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) squabble for power, the future of the sportspersons has become very uncertain.

After the BFI was riven by a power struggle that saw the appearance of two rival factions, the Sports Ministry derecognised the association.

The officials of the two factions say that their conflict will not affect the functioning of the association. However, the players are finding themselves in a lurch over the validity of their certificates and achievements from the current session, apart from participation in national and international events.

Due to the ongoing tussle, the players’ achievements are expected to be ignored by their respective states. The Indian basketball team is scheduled to participate in five major events this year, including the Asian Basketball Championship for men, women, boys and girls (U-15 years), and Asian Basketball Club Championship. One of the factions claims to have a direct affiliation to FIBA, the sport’s international apex body, and says that it has ample sponsors to send the teams in these events. However, a clearance from the Sports Ministry is mandatory for any international championship. The BFI being derecognised by the Sports Ministry, the Indian teams are uncertain for these events.

“The players are least bothered about the power game, but this tussle will definitely affect their future,” said former international player Jaldeep Dhaliwal. “The Sports Ministry, besides giving funds, also grants official recognition to the international championships, so its approval is essential. If both the factions are concerned about the welfare of the players, they should sit together and work out things. Their aim to get power is only going to discourage basketball and basketball players in India.”

According to sources in the Sports Ministry, one of the factions had recently announced that it would host the sub-junior National Championship in Assam. However, it dropped the idea after the other faction threatened to take legal action. “How could one represent India in an international championship without the approval of the Sports Ministry?” asked Parmapreet Singh, Punjab’s junior coach. “Representing the nation in an affiliated championship does not fall under self-financed programmes. If the players’ achievements or certificates do not get an approval from the Sports Ministry, what is the use of playing for that faction of the BFI?”

The two factions of the BFI had staged two separate AGMs in March, in Bengaluru and Pune. In Bengaluru, Karnataka Basketball Association (KBA) president K Govindraj was elected the BFI president. In Pune, BJP MP and Maharashtra Basketball Association chief (MBA) Poonam Mahajan was named president. 

The FIBA had sent their observers to both the elections and had given affiliation to the faction headed by Govindraj.

“The tussle is going to affect the players. To stand valid, a certificate of international championship must have the signatures of FIBA, BFI and Sports Ministry,” said Satinder Kapur, a national level player.