The district units affiliated with Vidarbha Hockey Association (VHA) has alleged that although the VHA case is subjudice in the high court, the secretary of Maharashtra Hockey Association (MHA) Manoj Bhore is misleading VHA district units by asking them to seek their affiliation.
The secretaries of district units affiliated with VHA addressed the media persons on Monday and have alleged that the MHA is misleading the players and also creating unnecessary dispute in district units. " We want to save hockey in Vidarbha. If we affiliate ourselves with MHA then our own players will get very less opportunities to play in nationals. Since the matter is subjudice, how can MHA ask us to join the hands with them?. At present we are with VHA and will remain with them till the court gives it final verdict over VHA affiliation with Hockey India", said the district officials.
The officials have also alleged that although MHA is asking them affiliate with them, they have not given anything in writing. " They are sending just WhatsApp messages and has not given anything in writing. Even former VHA secretary Pramod Jain has asked some district units to get MHA affiliation as the VHA is 'finished', they said.
However in this regard when contacted Bhore he refuted all the allegations and said he was working for the betterment of hockey in Vidarbha region.
The press meet was attended by Mohammad Sajid Sheikh (Gondia), Samir Pathan (Chandrapur),Krishna Joshi (Wardha), Sahid Sayyad (Yavatmal), Rajesh Sukhdeve (Bhandara), Yagya Singh (Napur), Mohammad Iqbal (Parbhani), Javed Qureshi (Jalgoan), Akshar Baig (Amravati), Nilesh Ingle (Bhandara), Sanjay Bais (Akola) and Mahenda Mane (Gadchiroli).