The Maharashtra Olympic Association (MOA) assured the Bombay High Court that it would take necessary steps to ensure that no athletes are harmed by internal factionalism, with all athletes invited to participate in the upcoming trials for the 38th National Games, which will be held in Uttarakhand.
This statement was made during the hearing of a petition filed by the Maharashtra Volleyball Association (MVA), represented by advocates Amir Arsiwala and Yash Jariwala. The MVA sought a direction from the court for the MOA to conduct selection trials for the Maharashtra State Beach Volleyball Women’s Team, with participation from their association. Additionally, the petition requested that if the MOA proceeded with the selection trials for the Women’s Beach Volleyball Team without the MVA’s involvement, the court should annul these trials and direct the MOA to conduct new ones.
The bench, consisting of Justices Dr. Neela Gokhale and Ashwin Bhobe, took note of the MOA’s submission, which assured the court that efforts would be made to prevent any negative impact on the athletes due to the factionalism within the MVA. The MVA, dealing with internal factionalism, had prompted one faction to seek inclusion of their athletes in the trials. The issue of the two factions is currently pending before the Charity Commissioner, who is yet to make a decision.
A letter from the MOA was presented to the court, which outlined their plan to resolve the matter. It stated, “To avoid any loss to sportspersons, letters will be sent to both factions, inviting their athletes to participate in the trials. The successful athletes will be recommended for the National Games. The invitation extended by the MOA will not validate or invalidate the authority of any faction’s executive committee. The validity of the executive committee’s actions will depend on the decision and order of the Deputy Charity Commissioner.”
The trials for the Maharashtra State Beach Volleyball Women’s Team are scheduled for this weekend, with the 38th National Games set to begin on January 25, 2025.
