BFI slaps 3-yr ban on Amjyot

Deepankar Sharda

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 30

The Basketball Federation of India (BFI) has handed over a three-year ban to once Indian famous cager Amjyot Singh for consuming alcohol and indulging in physical assault during a BFI’s Senior National Camp in Bengaluru, earlier this year in November.

Besides him, Arshpreet Bhullar has been banned for a period of one-year, while both Amritpal Singh and Amaan Sandhu have been issued warnings for indulging in the act.

As per the BFI order, ‘On perusal of the report submitted by the disciplinary committee, there is no doubt that Amjyot consumed alcohol in the BFI Senior Camp in Bengaluru on November 6 and led to physical assault with Arshpreet (Bhullar) which is against the Code of Ethics and conduct rules of the game. The consumption of the alcohol is documented with the medical report of the specialist doctor of the General Hospital Yelahanka, Bengaluru. Moreover Amjyot, Arshpreet (Bhullar), Amritpal and Aman (Sandhu) all four players left the camp premises without the permission of the competent authority’

The order further states, ‘Amjyot has become habitual and perpetual offender is banned for a period of three years from today (26/12/2019) to participate in any of the basketball tournaments/matches/championships falling under the purview/affiliated/permitted by the Basketball Federation of India/ in India as well as abroad. Arshpreet (Bhullar) is banned for a period of one year from today (26/12/2019) to participate in any of the basketball tournaments/matches/championships falling under the purview/affiliated/permitted by the Basketball Federation of India/FIBA in India as well as abroad. Amritpal has been issued a warning with severe consequences against recurrence of such incidents in future, while Amaan (Sandhu) is issued a warning and hereby advise the Head Coach to counsel him that he should not indulge into any such type of activities with the senior players outside the court and inside the campus and should be stay away from such incidents in future.

In November, the BFI has marked an inquiry into the alleged absence of Amjyot, Amrit Pal and Bhullar from the Bengaluru national camp on the intervening night of November 6-7. It was confirmed that the three along with Sandhu left the camp premises and went out to party without taking necessary permission. It was further confirmed that their motorcycle met with an accident and all received injuries. On coming back to the camp premises, they were involved in various ‘indiscipline’ acts.

Not the first time!

This is not the first time that Amjyot faced such kind of action for his indiscipline acts. His one-year ban, which he faced for ‘gross indiscipline’, was got over recently in June 2019. Afterwards, he played for Punjab in the Senior Nationals, concluded on December 26. “The orders were passed on December 26 (on the concluding day of the national championship) and all were informed on December 29. This is not the first time that he indulged in such acts,” said Chander Mukhi Sharma, BFI General Secretary. Meanwhile, on allowing both Amjyot and Bhullar to play on the last day of the national championship, Sharma said, “I issued the orders within 24 hours of receiving the disciplinary committee report. Both the players were allowed by technical commission.” Pujab