Kamrang protests police action against their football team manager, demand apology from SP

NAMCHI, 17 Aug: The final match of the Independence Day Football tournament played here on Wednesday was keenly contested, so keenly contested that a refereeing decision challenged by one of the teams was so hotly challenged that the police had to intervene and whisk away the manager of the team from the field before play could resume. And the matter is still not resolved with a section of the people from Kamrang below Namchi now demanding that the SP [South] apologise to the Kamrang FC team manager or face a joint protest by the “youth” of Kamrang and Namchi. Kamrang FC lost the match 4-3 but refused to collect the runners-up trophy or their cash-prize in protest.
The incident in question transpired when the Kamrang FC manager, Nayan Rai, protested what he saw as the linesman’s failure to call an out ball and the play ended in a goal by the Legship team which eventually lifted the winner’s trophy. Before that, however, immediately after the goal [which stretched the lead to 4-2 at the time] was scored, the Kamrang manager was on the field hotly protesting the lapse by the referees. A heated exchange followed and the game was held up until the police entered the field and broke up the melee. During this intervention, the SP is alleged to have also slapped the Kamrang FC manager.
The Kamrang team managed to pull back one goal before the match ended and lost 4-3 and then registered its protest by refusing to participate in the prize distribution ceremony demanding that the SP apologise first.
When contacted, SP [South] Manoj Tewari argued that no one can be allowed to take law into their own hands and contested that his action on the ground on Thursday was to prevent an untoward incident. He further countered that the Kamrang FC Manager was instigating a situation on the ground that day and that this is proven by the fact that after he was removed from the ground, the match continued smoothly. The Kamrang team manager was taken to the Namchi Police Station and released after the match.
A section of the people of Kamrang are not convinced of this argument, and addressing media persons here today protested what they insist was misconduct and excessive use of force by the SP. They believe that the team manager was within his rights to protest the line call and reiterated that if the SP did not apologise, the youth of Kamrang and Namchi would join hands to protest against the SP.

D’zongri Club protests walkover, says it was not event invited to play

SFA’S ORGANISATION OF CHOGYAL SIR TASHI NAMGYAL MEMORIAL CUP CALLED INTO QUESTION
USFC SURPRISED WITH INCLUSION IN TOURNEY WITHOUT CONSULTATION
GANGTOK, 07 Aug: D’zongri Club and United Sikkim Football Club have registered strong objections against the Sikkim Football Association including them in the Independence Day Football Tournament for the Chogyal Sir Tashi Namgyal Memorial Cup without any official invitation letter or any form of communication. SFA, it may be recalled, had awarded Sikkim Police a victory by walkover yesterday when D’zongri Club did not turn up for the scheduled match. D’zongri is now claiming that it did not even know it was scheduled to play yesterday since it had not received any communication in this regard from SFA.
The D’zongri Club general secretary, in a letter to the SFA general secretary, copies of which were also released to the media today, writes that the club was “surprised again by going through the news article printed in various Newspapers dated 7th August 2012 regarding the Walk Over by D’zongri Club and Strong Action to be taken by the Technical Committee against D’zongri Club in the ongoing Independence Day Football Tournament.”
The club has clarified that it had already submitted a letter on 05 August to the Sikkim Football Association and various clubs and newspapers here explaining [in partial detail] about non-participation of the club in the said tournament.
“We would also clarify and recall that in the meeting held between the representatives of the clubs and Sikkim Football Association before the Senior Division S-League 2012 it was decided by all that only the top 4 teams of the said League will be given a place in the Independence Day Football Tournament for Chogyal Sir Tashi Namgyal Memorial Cup,” the letter highlights.
On the same, the letter mentioned that D’zongri Club stood in the last position in the said League and thus did not qualify for the tournament and is now questioning how it was included in the fixture for the Independence Day Football Tournament “that too without any correspondence and information to join the said tournament”.
“Hence, with due regard we would like to know that as our team had not participated in Independence Day Football Tournament for Chogyal Sir Tashi Namgyal Memorial Cup 2012. So how can your esteemed Association declare Walk Over against our team and state to take strong action against our Club,” the letter questions.
Meanwhile, the Uro USFC senior manager has also written to the SFA president informing him that the club has not received any official letter of invitation or any other form of communication from the organizers [Sikkim Football Association] to participate in the tournament and that it is only through media reports that it is learning that it has been announced as one of the participants.
“Since we have received no information regarding our participation in the tournament, we are ignorant of the rules of regulation and the criteria for participation,” the letter states.
The letter further says the club has already been penalized in the league owing to violation of rules and regulation laid down in the constitution of SFA and to add to it no explanation was sought before the press release was made regarding the violation of rules and regulation and the Club was deeply affected and hence did not want a repeat of the same scenario.
“Uro USFC would request SFA to kindly send an official communication for participation in the tournament along with the rules and regulation by 7 PM today otherwise we will not be able to field a team for the tournament,” the letter conveys.
The letter also points out that Uro USFC had, in its earlier letters, requested for some documents [related to S-League], however the club have not received anything from the parent board.
“We have also received a copy of Boys Club’s official protest requesting for the voter’s ID of the two players from Siniolchu FC [Namchi], and since we have been penalized earlier in the S-League, we would want to know what action has been initiated regarding this matter. We would be grateful if you could address our issue at the earliest,” the letter seeks.