Enquiry sought into assault on state players

Karnataka on Saturday said it would seek an inquiry into an assault on its teen throwball players at a national tournament here.

The state’s under-17 players were beaten up by their Delhi counterparts at the 62nd National School Games on Thursday, according to Karnataka coach M S Jagadish.

The assault followed a semi-final match at Yuva Shakti Model School at Rohini, where the Karnataka boys’ and girls’ teams had gathered.

Tamil Nadu students, who lost the semi-final, first staged a dharna, saying the referees had been prejudiced in favour of Delhi. The Karnataka girls’ team, which had lost against Chhattisgarh in the semi-final, joined the protest, saying the referees had been unfair to them as well.

Some girls from the Delhi team thrashed the protesting students, according to Jagadish, who works as a physical education instructor at a high school in Agumbe, Shivamogga district.

The Karnataka and Tamil Nadu coaches intervened and moved their players to safety.

“The organisers egged on the Delhi team to attack both teams,” Jagadish said.

The Karnataka team has lodged a complaint against the referees and the Delhi team with the School Games Federation of India.

Atul Kumar Tiwari, resident commissioner at Karnataka Bhavan here, met the players and the coach, and promised to take up the matter with the Central sports ministry at the earliest.

Umashri, Karnataka’s minister for women and child welfare, also spoke to Tiwari. 
 
The Directorate of Education Sports Branch of the Delhi government is hosting the 62nd National School Games under the School Games Federation of India.

Players’ take
“Our team reached the semi-final, but lost because the referees were biased,” said Gowri Shree, a member of the under-17 Karnataka throwball team. The girls’ team says it was given a raw deal even during the match to determine the third position. The boys’ team also faced discrimination, according to Karnataka coach M S Jagadish.