Sports dept goes soft on Bajaj; lets him off with a warning

Deepankar Sharda

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 30

For UT Sports Department, might is right. On Thursday, the department let off Minerva FC owner Ranjit Bajaj with a warning for assaulting department’s coach Iqbal Singh, who was officiating as the chairman of medical committee in the Administrator’s Cup.

During the semifinal between Minerva and Cordia Southall United Club, Bajaj hurled abuses at Singh towards the end of the first half. It led to a scuffle between the two, forcing the organisers to call in the police. The problem arose when the tournament commissioner directed Bajaj to leave the players' dugout and sit outside the fenced area. A miffed Bajaj started arguing with the officials, and Singh, too, got involved in it. Soon, a major scuffle broke out between him and Bajaj, which ended after the fellow coaches intervened. The arena was then locked for outsiders and only authorised persons were allowed to enter the stadium.

“We had submitted the report of the incident to the office of the joint director sports. The Minerva FC owner has extended an unconditional apology for the incident,” said IP Nagi, the tournament commissioner.

The department’s action, or the lack of it, has left others miffed. They allege that Bajaj, despite creating so much ruckus and assaulting a government official in public view, has been let off with a rap on his knuckles because of his administrative connections.

“If the sports department thinks that a mere warning is enough for abusing or  slapping a coach, then there is a dire need to change the system. The Fathegarh Sahib team could also have been let off with a warning for fielding an overage player. Why were they thrown out, and Bajaj let off with a warning?” asked a department’s coach