Several sports organisations representing wrestling, kabaddi, Taekwondo, Boxing, Handball, and other sports have been protesting from Tuesday near Bund Garden Police Station in Pune as they have been denied the right to exercise their voting rights in the five-yearly elections of the Maharashtra Olympic Association (MOA).
Office bearers of various sports organisations, national and international athletes have started a hunger strike outside the MOA office against the arbitrary administration of Maharashtra Olympic Association (MOA) General Secretary Namdev Shirgaonkar.
Maharashtra Rajya Kustigir Sangh’s President and former MP Ramdas Tadas, Working President Sandip Bhondve, General Secretary Yogesh Dodke, International Wrestling Umpire Vilas Kathure, Karate Association of Maharashtra President Salahuddin Ansari, Secretary Sandeep Gade, Sports Coordination Committee Maharashtra State President Latendra Bhingare, and others were present at this hunger strike.
Tadas said, “The General Secretary of MOA is trying to end the game from Maharashtra by not letting us vote in the elections. Our main demand is that all sports organisations should get the right to vote. And if a decision is not taken in this regard in the meeting on September 25, we will protest along with players across the state from September 27.”
Speaking to the Free Press Journal, Sandip Bhondve, who represents the Maharashtra Rajya Kustigir Sangh, said, “There is a dispute going on between different wrestling organisations in the state. The ‘Kustigir Sangh’ has the national recognition from the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI), and we had filed an application for recognition of the MOA, but it has not been recognised yet.”
“Only 22 sports organisations have been given voting rights by the MOA to bring their own power to the organisation. And the voting eligible organisations include persons of interest of the general secretary,” Bhondve added.
The protestors further said that Maharashtra is performing well at national-level competitions while the MOA, particularly its secretary, is acting arbitrarily. “He has deliberately not recognised the organisations after repeatedly demanding recognition of the organisations. All organisations should be given voting rights,” said Yogesh Dodke.
Moreover, Bhondve stated that around Rs 12 crore was disbursed by the state government to the MOA for national-level competitions in Gujarat, Goa, and Uttarakhand, but the MOA hasn’t provided the details of the expenses yet.
“The demanded reasoning for the expenditure details is still awaited, while it is mandated to clear it before March 31 of every year,” Bhondve added, while emphasising that the operations of MOA must be brought under the ambit of the Right to Information (RTI).
The protestors included players, coaches, as well as representatives from different sports organisations who demanded the resignation of MOA President Ajit Pawar and General Secretary Namdev Shirgaonkar, stating that corrupt officials are playing with the dreams of those athletes and destroying their future of the athletes.
Gorakhnath Bhikule, member of Maharashtra Rajya Kustigir Parishad, said, “Kustigir Sangh has been operational for just the last two years, and now they want recognition at MOA, while the legacy of Kustigir Parishad isn’t considered. We demand that this politics should be done away from sports and a consensus should be made to represent only one wrestling organisation from Maharashtra, as it will also be helpful for the sportsperson’s welfare.”
Responding to the raised allegations, Namdev Shirgaonkar said, “All the allegations made by former MP Ramdas Tadas while talking to the press are false. Maharashtra has topped the country in three consecutive national sports competitions in the last five years. Maharashtra has set a record of a hat-trick of overall championships. There is no complaint from the players regarding the Maharashtra Olympic Association. However, the so-called controversial sports organisers have made false allegations for personal gain. The Maharashtra Olympic Association is condemning this.”
