Senior Sports Journalist Rajendra Sajwan
India stands on the 104 th position from the point of view of its performance in the popular football game globally. Though it has made its position in the Asia Cup defeating the weak teams of Cambodia, Afghanistan and Hongkong but we shouldn’t forget that about Rs 24 lakhs were spent on astrological predictions. Though there is no denying the fact that the Indian government is spending crores of Rupees on this laggard/ weak Indian football team but a part of this huge spending was done on magic, tone and tricks to know n positively impact the future prospects rather than on their genuine practices n performance. This is indeed a matter if immense surprise and shock that this allegation was vindicated when the supreme court constituted probe committee too found in AIFF accounts, instances of misuse of funds on these cheap orthodox tactics. This fact is being ridiculed in international football circles. Sounds ridiculous that on the one hand our government had spent lakhs and crores of rupees on Football by calling foreign coaches for training, organised several foreign tours, on the other hand instead of performing extraordinarily the AIFF has chosen such an option that the entire world football fraternity is ridiculing us. When the dictatorial attitude of AIFF and monopoly of its chairman Praful Patel crossed the saturation point, the apex count had to intervene finally leading to the exit of the former as the chief of AIFF. Not only this but the honourable apex court and the COA , the committee of administrators constituted by Supreme Court has noticed several irregularities in the acounts of AIFF. During the audit of the accounts when the probe committee found evidence about payments done to an astrological firm, the auditors were flabbergasted. They wondered as to what role would an astrologer play in football house ( Game) ? But according to sources the astrologers were literally paid. A Federation official has admitted that the AIFF had signed a contract with a foreign company some months ago which was to be paid Rs 24 lakhs for three months. It has been revealed that for two months period a sum of Rs 16 lakhs had already been paid. It has also been learnt that the committee comprising of Justice A. N. Dubey, S. Y. Qureshi, n Bhaskar Ganguli had also cleared payment of the remaining amount. There is no doubt that the victory and defeat of players and the game depend on the performance of the team and players. The team that gives its best usually stage a win. And if fortune tellers or astrologers start predicting about the victory of the matches in advance then what is the need for the players to perform according to their best capabilities. Why to waste money on games and why to perform with outstanding efforts and game spirit, is a moot question ? It unambiguously indicate that the management of the Indian Football team n others were so badly discouraged and demoralised that they had to opt for an extremely ridiculous n shameful option of astrological prediction which became an object of ridicule, globally. On deeper analysis however, players have expressed their ignorance about the astrological aspect but it is believed that some of them were definitely part of it. What is utterly surprising n shocking that this practice was adopted for a second class AFC Cup tournament in Kolkatta. Though allegations are being labelled on the football teams of Bengal and some other states, Indian team was on 104 th ranking whereas the team of Hongkong, Afghanistan n Cambodia were on 145,154 and 174 ranking quite behind India. However, the AIFF was not confident enough on their own ground about the good performance of their team. If believed, this is a clearcut matter of ridiculing football match, downgrading its reputation and hurting the sentiments of our football lovers, which is being termed as an unpardonable act.
(This article has been authored by Rajendra, Sajwan, senior sports journo. These are his personal views. Uknationnews is not responsible )
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