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Deepankar Sharda
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, June 6
In a yet another jolt to the functioning of the state-run academies, one of the trainees of the Chandigarh Hockey Academy (CHA) is representing Haryana in the ongoing 9th Hockey India Sub-Junior Women’s National Championship (A Division) in Hisar.
The player —whose identity The Tribune is protecting —is registered with CHA and had represented Chandigarh in the Junior Nationals recently in January. She was inducted in the academy in 2017. During the ongoing Nationals, representing Haryana, she scored two goals against Chandigarh in the quarterfinals.
CHA’s coaches and other officials refused to comment on the issue.
According to sources in the UT Sports Department, the player went home last month on the pretext of attending her brother's marriage. However, she never returned. “She insisted on taking some holidays, but she was not given the permission to leave the camp. Thereafter, her guardians approached us and she was given a limited period holiday. However, she never returned,” said an official, seeking anonymity.
Another official added, “The high rank officials are well aware about the absence of the trainee from the academy. Some of them even went to Hisar to crosscheck the facts. But when it comes to action, everyone takes a step back. The loss is ultimately of the city players.”
Interestingly, this is not the first time that the officials were caught napping while the trainees left on their own choice. In the past six years, over 17 players have left the academies in the middle of their five-year contracts.
However, no action was taken against any of these defaulters. These academies (football, hockey, and cricket) are being funded by the public exchequer and a majority of the players in these academies are selected from other states.
Players at the academies are provided with free boarding, lodging, nutritious/balanced diet, sports uniform, allied sports equipment, admission in local government schools, free books, uniforms, study material and extra coaching classes.
“I don't understand where the loophole is. The officials are unable to find a solution to it,” said a local coach.
“Neither have they inducted local players in the academies, nor do they try to keep the selected players here. A player is absent from the academy for the past 15 days and they are least bothered.”
The city has nearly 108 government schools and over 50 private schools. Despite this, the Chandigarh Sports Department has been unable to fill the academies from the talent pool available in the city.
Facilities for players of state-run academies
The players at these state-run academies (football hockey, cricket) are provided with free boarding, lodging, nutritious/balanced diet, sports uniform, allied sports equipment, admission in local government schools, free books, uniforms, study material and extra coaching classes. All this is provided on the public exchequer. However, whenever any player/players leave the academy in-between the contract period, no strong action has ever been taken.
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