Self styled president, gen secy run Fencing Association show, players in limbo
Time & Us
Last Updated: October 4, 2018 at 8:34 pm
JAMMU:Sports is believed to be nobody’s baby in this state and always remained the last priority for those who remained at the helm of affair.
Surprisingly some of the sports bodies are being either run by ‘one man army’ or few by the self styled officials, who are enjoying all powers and luxuries in top post chair.
Jammu and Kashmir Fencing Association is one of the examples of such bodies having self styled president and general secretary, who remains in front than those nominated in papers and letter head of the association.
According to sources, U C Dingra was appointed as new president of Jammu and Kashmir Fencing Association two years ago but even now, former head M J Sharma is posing himself as association chief and taking all the important decisions.
“Similarly, the former general secretary Vijay Sharma is who is said to be the ‘powerful’ man and professionally a builder but in papers, his brother Mohinder Sharma is the general secretary of the association,” sources said.
They further added that both M J Sharma and Vijay Sharma are behaving like dictators in the association and not ready to call it a day despite new appointments were made two years back in the body.
“One can easily notice the former President and former general secretary dictating terms to the players and coaches at many sports occasions and events as the members in chair, most of the time remains absent,” they maintained.
Sources however, said that the former president M J Sharma, a retired forester is also politically well connected due to which he remains in power despite not being in presidential chair, adding, “the general secretary, still poking his nose in all affairs of the fencing association.”
“This is all a money game as funds pumped into the association for holding various activities are hardly spent for the purpose,” an international fencer said pleading anonymity speaking to this correspondent.
He also rued that till now, fencing has no infrastructure to hold regular practice sessions at Maulana Azad Stadium is under renovation.
“The Fencing Association officials holding prestigious posts since decades have failed in pressing the successive governments to get infra raised for the fencers and they were forced to practise on the stairs of M A Stadium thus suffering injuries many times,” said a fencer.
“Why don’t the veteran officials quit from the posts and give chance to young and energetic teams for the welfare of the sports,” said a player alleging that fencers sometimes left ‘red faced’ or feel dejected when they have no option left except visiting to the self styled president and general secretary with a plea of getting some documents signed or seek permission for any task but in return they face “humilation”.
“There is no recognised office of J&K Fencing Association located where one can visit to meet the officials at the time of urgency as they sometimes do not bother to attend phone calls,” a trainee at the M A Stadium asserted.
