To, The Executive Director, Sports Authority of Goa, Panaji-Goa 30-04-2008
Panjim Badminton Club and Evening Badminton Group specifically state and submit the following: 1. We take strong objection to the Sports Authority of Goa's (SAG) arbitrary and illegitimate decision to continue to keep the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Coach Shri Rajiv Bhargava posted at SAG's Coaching Center in Ponda. 2. It may be recalled that Shri Rajiv Bhargava, SAI Badminton Coach was posted to the SCC Campal Panjim Goa as a special case by Mr. Roque Dias, the Regional Director of the SAI Western Region, for the promotion of Badminton since Mr. Roshanlal Nahar; SAI Badminton Coach posted earlier to the SCC had retired. SAI posted Mr. Bhargava, with the best interests of the badminton players at Panjim SCC, incurring an expenditure of about Rs 50,000/- towards his transfer allowance etc. 3. However, Shri Bhargava was posted to the Coaching Center at Ponda by the Sports Authority of Goa on the grounds that in the meantime the retired Coach Shri Roshanlal Nahar had been given a one-year Contract stint at the Indoor Stadium at Campal, Panjim and posting Shri Rajiv Bhargava in Panjim would mean having 2 different coaches in Panjim, an unnecessary expenditure. 4. The local official of SAI, when contacted, however informed that it was notified to all State Sports Departments, by Sports Authority of India that the SAI Coaches posted in the States are not to be posted with-in the State by the State Sports Authorities without the prior approval of the competent authority at SAI. Despite this Shri Rajiv Bhargava, SAI Badminton Coach was transferred to STC Ponda, Goa, by SAG in contravention to the SAI policy regarding posting of coaches. 5. The posting orders issued by Executive Director(ED) SAG vide letter No. SAG/03/ADM-CU/ RB/ BC/ SAI/ 07/ 3276 dated 23/11/07 is in contravention of Government of India policy and the same was requested to be withdrawn with immediate effect by SAI. However, no action to withdraw the said orders has been taken by the ED SAG till date. 6. The ED sometime back had assured these two city-based clubs that they would appoint Mr. Roy Athaide as a stop-gap arrangement; that the SAG would not grant any further extension to the retired coach Roshanlal Nahar and would post the SAI Coach Rajiv Bhargava in Panjim as and when he would return back to Goa. A statement to this effect was also made by the ED to some of the local dailies. 7. We hereby vehemently assert that there is no justification to keep Shri Rajiv Bhargava posted in Ponda especially since Roshanlal Nahar's one-year contractual term has come to an end and Mr Roy Athaide too is conducting a Camp in Mapusa and is unavailable for Coaching in Panjim. Shri Rajiv Bhargava has been sent by SAI clearly as a replacement for Roshanlal Nahar and we therefore condemn in the strongest of terms the SAG's lack of intent to place him in Panjim. 8. The Sports Coaching Center at Indoor Stadium at Campal Panjim- Goa is the Primary Coaching Center and the SAG's decision is nothing but a harassment to the city based Badminton Players. Moreover, such a decision by the Sports Authority of Goa is arbitrary, illegitimate and in utter contravention to the SAI's policy on placement of Coaches. We therefore request you to kindly take immediate steps to place the SAI Coach Shri Rajiv Bhargava at SCC Campal Panjim Goa as per the directives of the Sports Authority of India, failing which we will be once again forced to agitate on this issue. Yours sincerely Shashant M. Naik (President, Panjim Badminton Club) Sandeep Heble (Jt. Secretary, Evening Badminton Group)