CoA meeting with HCA, TCA soon

HYDERABAD : The Committee of Administrators (CoA) has asked representatives of Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) and Telangana Cricket Association (TCA) to appear before them on May 30. On Monday, the associations received letters which instructed them to be present in New Delhi for a hearing on the issue of TCA’s appeal to be recognised as a BCCI associate member. It can be remembered that on May 3, the Bombay High Court had directed the CoA to hear and decide the matter within six weeks. The e-mail from CoA states that HCA had “requested that it be permitted to intervene and be heard in the matter.”

The CoA has given HCA until May 23 to provide its written submission/ representation. The TCA has already done that. The tussle between HCA and TCA has been going on for a while. The latter came into existence after the state of Telangana was formed in 2014, with 31 districts. A total of 10 districts fall under HCA jurisdiction. TCA officials claim rural cricketers have been ignored by HCA. “There are only two members from rural areas in the HCA, out of about 140. We do not have any animosity against HCA. Our organisation’s focus is to promote talent in the rural parts of the state.

The HCA has failed to do this. We just want associate membership,” said Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, TCA governing council vice-chairman and MP. In BCCI, associate members don’t have voting rights. The HCA has been a full member for decades. The HCA is in no mood to relent. “We held an inter-district tourney recently. We are promoting the game in the rural areas.

What else is needed? And TCA’s balance sheet shows that they spend just about `30 lakh. How can an association represent a major part of the state with this money? By that logic, 10 more associations can want to have associate membership,” HCA president G Vivekanand said. TCA secretary Dharam Guruva Reddy claimed about 80 per cent of the state is neglected in the current arrangement. “On paper, HCA claims to be doing something, but nothing has happened. Opportunities for so many are lost. That’s why our association was formed.” vishal@newindianexpress.com