City cricket bodies told to submit proposals to CoA

CHANDIGARH:A keen tussle is on the cards as the Indian cricket board has asked the Chandigarh Cricket Association (affiliated to PCA), Chandigarh Cricket Association (affiliated to HCA) and UT Cricket Association — all three local associations seeking direct affiliation with BCCI — to submit their respective representations to the Committee of Administrators (CoA) on or before July 19.

Deepankar Sharda

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, July 12

A keen tussle is on the cards as the Indian cricket board has asked the Chandigarh Cricket Association (affiliated to PCA), Chandigarh Cricket Association (affiliated to HCA) and UT Cricket Association — all three local associations seeking direct affiliation with BCCI — to submit their respective representations to the Committee of Administrators (CoA) on or before July 19.

In the past few decades, the local bodies affiliated to the Punjab Cricket Association and Haryana Cricket Association have been actively promoting the sport in the city, while in the recent times, the UT Cricket Association, headed by city BJP president Sanjay Tandon, has organised a few tournaments to catch the national body’s attention.

In a circular released on Thursday, BCCI said: “The Committee of Administrators has been informed that when BCCI visited Chandigarh in April 2001, there were certain other cricket associations that had also sought affiliation. In light of the aforesaid, a notice is hereby issued to any other cricket association from Chandigarh, which may be desirous of making a representation seeking affiliation, to make a representation to the Committee of Administrators on or before July 19.”

Chandigarh has been seeking direct affiliation with BCCI for the past two decades, even as no city-based cricket association is affiliated to the UT Sports Department.

In 2007, the then Punjab Governor and UT Administrator General (Retd) SF Rodrigues had written to then BCCI president Sharad Pawar, requesting him to grant direct affiliation to the city with the purpose of participating in the Ranji Trophy and other recognised tournaments.

The Governor had also assured the board of not getting involved in the voting process, nor claiming a share in its income. However, no headway has been made since then.

Sources in BCCI, meanwhile, said the decision on awarding direct affiliation to the city-based associations would be taken before August 20.

“All three contenders have been asked to submit their representations. The committee will take the final call soon. The UT Cricket Association is an old body but it has less experience of organising championships. On the other hand, the remaining two associations have been active,” said a source.

The source further said: “The recognised association may not get the voting rights as it will be an ad hoc body, but the players will benefit in any case.”

Currently, the local players either play for Punjab or Haryana in the senior championships. If the city gets direct affiliation, it will not only be easy for the local cricketers, but also for the players of neighbouring states to shift their base to Chandigarh.

BCCI circular

The Committee of Administrators has been informed that when the BCCI visited Chandigarh in April 2001, there were certain other cricket associations that had also sought affiliation to BCCI. In light of the aforesaid, notice is hereby issued to any other cricket association from Chandigarh, which may be desirous of making a representation seeking affiliation to make a representation to the Committee of Administrators on or before July 19.