BENGALURU: First football, now cricket. High-flying aircraft manufacturers Hindustan Aeronautics Limited’s sporting legacy is fading by the day.
They have decided not to field their two teams in local leagues and have written to the associations concerned to that effect. The Karnataka State Football Association (KSFA) received their letter of non-participation about a fortnight ago, while the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) received it three days ago.
The HAL players have been the front-runners of state soccer ever since their traditional rivals, Indian Telephone Industries, decided to disband their team a decade back. They won the super division league and did wonderfully well in the national league as well.
At one point of time, HAL had three football teams - HAL Seniors, HAL Juniors and HAL Greens. After the BEML Rail Coach division was formed in Bengaluru, they gave away their HAL Greens affiliation. It was not just a factory producing aircraft but a fertile ground for footballers. The revenue earned through soccer not only funded the matches, but also enabled the sports club to provide the best of facilities to its players. Not just for football but for other disciplines too.
The cricket team has been one of the best for more than four decades and has produced some outstanding displays. Both the football and cricket teams provided top drawer talent, which also served the state and national teams.
After the economy was liberalised, public sector firms in the state and the country were badly hit. With little or no recruitment, even retrenchment and the golden handshake being resorted to, jobs were at a premium. Sports quotas had no meaning at all. Many of the players were given contracts to represent the club. But now even that is of no consequence with the firm deciding not to field their teams.
While no one is willing to go on record, sources in HAL say that the management is upset with certain elements misusing the playground facilities. Some others say that the company is formulating a new sports policy and is keen to have sports academies rather than teams now. Once things are in place, they will get back into the mainstream and start playing like before. But then, pulling out of competitions on the local circuit is perhaps not the answer.
Associations have a rule by which a club’s affiliation can be retained if the team is fielded at least once in two years. HAL could have utilised this rule to good effect and remained in the system rather than opt out.