Chandigarh, August 9
During the past few years, fielding of overage players has given a bad name to the city football. Three players of the Chandigarh Football Academy were found to be overage last year.
Objections have been raised against two players, Pawan Sharma and Ramandeep, both of the Chandigarh Football Academy and students of Government Model High School, Sector 42, by St Stephen's School. The cut-off date of birth for the under-14 section is January 1990, but according to the school leaving certificates, photocopies of which are available with The Tribune, both are above 14 years.
Ramandeep Singh, son of Sardool Singh and Kulwinder Kaur, who as a student of Navjot Model School, Khokhar Faujian (district Gurdaspur) passed his fifth class board examination, 1999, shows his date of birth as March 27, 1989. But in the entry form submitted by Government Model High School, Sector 42, Ramandeep with admission number 290, has the date of birth of November 11, 1990.
Moreover, another certificate given by the headmaster of Government Middle School, Udhowal, Batala Tehsil Gurdaspur district, where he studied from April 7, 1999, to August 8, 2000, shows his date of birth to be March 27, 1989.
Similarly, Pawan Kumar, son of Satpal and Raj Kumari and resident of Khokhar Faujian, whose actual date of birth is December 20, 1989, is shown to be born on July 1, 1990, in the entry form submitted by the principal of the GMHS 42.
Mr Harold Carver, Principal of St Stephens' School, Sector 45, said the football academy boys had tried to befool the authorities.
He had written to the secretary, UT School Sports Committee, at the beginning of the inter-school tournament regarding the matter but even after the conclusion of the meet no action has been taken.
Meanwhile, Mr D.S. Mangat, DPI (Schools), UT, said he was yet to get any reply from the Secretary, School Sports Committee.
