State Badminton Ranking C’ship: Organisers told to pay user charges

Deepankar Sharda 

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 18

The UT Sports Department on Monday asked the organisers of the recently-concluded State Badminton Ranking Championship to “pay Rs 31,000” for using the facilities at the Sector 7 Sports Complex during the three-day event. 

The move follows a June 4 report in The Tribune in which it was mentioned that the organisers had charged Rs 500 as entry fees from each player for participating in just one event.   

“The department has asked the organisers to submit a sum of Rs 31,000,” said a source. The organisers had drawn flak for charging participation fee from the players as the Sports Department had not charged a single penny from the organisers for using the Sector 7 Sports Complex for the conduct of the championship. 

Pertinently, the Chandigarh Badminton Association had allotted the tournament to one of their registered clubs. 

“That is their internal matter. We have issued a notice to the organiser concerned for paying us the charges for our stadium. Though, there is no formal compliant with us by any parent so far,” said Sports Director Capt Karnail Singh. He, though, did not specify the exact amount the organisers had been told to pay. 

During the championship, some of the shuttlers who participated in two events — singles and doubles competition — had to pay Rs 1,000 to the organisers.