CHENNAI: Even as teams start trickling into hotels for the South Asian Games in Guwahati and Shillong, one discipline out of 23 is facing elimination. In a dramatic twist, basketball at SAG has been de-recognised by international basketball association (FIBA). Though Indian Olympic Association is trying its best to salvage the situation, there is no clarity whether other nations will participate in the event.
In a letter addressed to the basketball federations of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, FIBA has cautioned them against sending teams because of the ongoing tussle between IOA and Basketball Federation of India. Even if Games organisers go ahead with basketball, there is possibility of facing the wrath of the FIBA. If the BFI is to be believed, participating teams too might risk getting banned. In a letter to the president of BFI, the secretary general of FIBA has warned IOA and said there has been “unacceptable interference by the Indian Olympic Association in the affairs of the Basketball Federation of India”.
However, IOA who went into a huddle after the letter was issued to BFI, felt it was not right on the part of the BFI to have sought such a directive just a couple of days before the event begins in Guwahati and it would try its best to host the discipline. “It’s a matter of reputation now,” said one official. “What is FIBA talking about? We being the National Olympic Committee and BFI being a disputed organisation with two factions, we have the right to interfere. We will see what we can do after we reach Guwahati on Monday.”
Though secretary general of IOA Rajeev Mehta did not want to talk about interference, he did feel it was wrong to have put the event in peril. “This is the biggest sporting spectacle after the 2010 Commonwealth Games and everybody must be looking at India. And now this happens. It’s unacceptable. We invited the BFI president for talks but no one paid heed to our request. That’s why we went ahead and selected teams so that India doesn’t go unrepresented.”
Mehta even said people misleading the international federation would be dealt with appropriately. “It is not right on anyone’s part to malign India’s image,” said Mehta. “I just hope the Games take place without a hitch. The ministry is doing so much to host a hassle-free Games. We should support it.”
Another top official said not just the IOA, since the sports ministry was actively involved in hosting the event, even it would be livid. A senior sports ministry official said since SAG is being conducted under the banner of IOA, there is a possibility it might go ahead with International Olympic Council or Olympic Council of Asia nod.
A letter, a copy of which is with Express, said: “Please be informed that due to unacceptable interference by the Indian Olympic Association in the affairs of the Basketball Federation of India, FIBA is unable to recognise and endorse the basketball competitions of the SAG scheduled to take place form 11 to 16 February 2016.
“The IOA as well as the state authorities in charge of sport in India continuously fail to recognise the Basketball Federation of India duly recognised by FIBA despite the several correspondences... Accordingly, the IOA has granted to an ad-hoc committee the authority to select the Indian national teams due to participate in this event in complete violation of FIBA’s decisions and directions.”