The Rajasthan cricket field seems to be transformed into a political battlefield, because the ad hoc committee of the Rajasthan Cricket Association (RCA) has raised serious concerns concerning the functioning of the State Sports Council. The Committee not only questioned its exclusion from the Indian Premier League (IPL) arrangements in Jaipur, but also raised suspicions about the recent unexpected loss of the Royals of Rajasthan (against Lucknow super-mans) in a match they were apparently ready to win.
The chairman of the committee and deputy of the BJP, Jaideep Bihani, allegedly alleged a unfair game, which suggests that the match had been lost in questionable circumstances. “How did RR lost a match they won? What message is it sending to young Rajasthan players?” He asked.
Bihani accused the Rajasthan State Sports Council of working against the interests of the sport by putting the touch of the RCA and the ad hoc committee appointed by the government of the organization of the IPL.
The ad hoc committee, under the management of Bihani, consisted of the government of the State to supervise and promote cricket activities through Rajasthan. Under his watch, several BCCI tournaments have been successfully organized and advanced sports facilities have been developed for young talents across the State. Given the solid history of the RCA, its exclusion from IPL operations raised the eyebrows.
Bihani also said that not only the ad hoc RCA committee was kept away from IPL planning, but that its members have also refused accreditation. Instead, accreditation would have been granted to a secretary of a district cricket association affiliated with RCA – a Bihani move called a deliberate plot. During the previous IPL seasons, RCA distributed free match allowance to the office of the Minister of the Chief, the Ministers, the High Commission, the Dignitaries, the District Cricket Associations and the former players.
However, this year, the passing will be given selectively to the personal contacts and the favored districts, undermining the long-standing role of RCA.
He also alleged that efforts are underway to destabilize the ad hoc committee by forming parallel organizations and distorting its objective. “If the only role of the committee was to lead elections, then why did the government of the state extend its mandate five times?” Bihani asked, saying that the government is fully satisfied with the performance of the committee.
Quoting previous responsibility efforts, he noted that the ad hoc committee had made an audit of 368 pages from the previous executive organization of RCA and had even filed a FIR at the Jyoti Nagar police station.
“If the sports council is so vigilant, why was no measure taken on this FIR?” questioned.
Bihani also opposed the use of ground equipment and high value staff for IPL matches without compensation. While the Royals of Rajasthan would have paid rent crores at the Sports Council for the use of the Sawai Mansingh stadium, the RCA curator, Taposh Chatterjee and other staff members, maintain the land and the facilities without any payment. Bihani described this a strategic attempt to put the touch of the RCA role in cricket operations.
He then accused the vice-president of the Royals of Rajasthan, Rajeev Khanna, of having deliberately tried to alienate RCA of the cricket affairs. Although RCA has submitted a list of its equipment to the Royals and the Sports Council for reimbursement, no measure has been taken so far.
Once contacted, Rajeev Khanna refused to comment on Bihani’s statements. “Me and Rajasthan Royals worked with the governments of current and old states to successfully organize the IPL in Jaipur. I do not wish to respond to such comments or false allegations,” he said.
In conclusion, Bihani reaffirmed the contribution of the ad hoc RCA committee to cricket in Rajasthan and condemned the actions of the sports council as unconstitutional and harmful for sport. “Let the game Stay a game-don’t drag it into plots for personal or political interests,” he urged.
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