Mumbai University lists sportspersons 'ineligible' for January 29 Kurukshetra event

AFTER hockey, archery seems to have earned the patronage of the Shiv Sena.
u00a0
The archery teams of Mumbai University have sought the party's intervention as the varsity officials have decided to debar many "ineligible" archers from participating in the All India Inter-University Archery competition, at Kurukshetra on Jan 29.


University official says that the archers did not qualify for the tournament because of their low shooting scores

While the University says that the archers did not qualify for the tournament because of their low shooting scores, the students allege that by winning the previous tournament, they automatically qualify for the Jan 29 event.

Director of physical education, Uttam Kendre said there was no injustice in the selection procedure. "These students have not fulfilled the criteria to qualify for the events.

Only those with 80 per cent shooting scores are deemed eligible for participation. And, these students have scored just a little over 50 per cent. We have stuck to the guidelines and there is definitely no malice here," affirmed Kendre.

However, archery coach Suresh Nair begged to differ. "The 80 per cent score criteria is a farce. The top four players from the previous competition automatically qualify for the next tournament.
u00a0
The archery teams, which participated in the university's competition at Dahanu and won, automatically qualify for the events," said Nair.

The competition consists of three events Indian, compound and recurve archery. Out of six teams, the university is allowing only two boys' compound team and girls' recurve team for the competition.

A senate member of the university, Pradeep Sawant from the Sena, and archery coach Nair met the varsity officials yesterday.

"We were approached by the students and are taking up the matter with the university officials. We had a meeting with the vice-chancellor, Rajan Velukar and he has forwarded the matter to Kendre.

We will do everything to ensure that the students get justice or else we will deal with the matter in the Sena style," said Sawant, referring to the party's arm-twisting tactics.

Sanket Ghosalkar, who finished first in Indian archery at the Dahanu tournament recently, said, "We practised really hard and had hopes of participating there. This is just not fair."

Earlier this month, the saffron party had influenced the selection of the institute's hockey team after a few players sought its intervention complaining that the varsity officials were preferring outsiders to localites while selecting sportspersons. The Sena interfered and the team was altered and eventually went on to win the final.