Age fudging: Petition filed against six more U-19 Odisha cricketers

Cuttack: Involvement of six more cricketers of the Odisha U-19 cricket team in age fudging has come to fore after a petition has reportedly been filed with Sports Integrity Wing of CBI and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The cricketers against whom the petition has been filed by the All India Anti Corruption Association are Soumen Kumar Chand, Sanjay Dash, Raghunath Malla, Umesh Jadav, Ayushkant Sahoo and Preetsingh Chowhan.

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The birth certificate of Soumen Kumar Chand obtained from the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) revealed that he was born on 24 July, 1997. As per the BCCI guidelines, players born after September 1, 1997 could only be given place in the U-19 team. With questions being raised as how Chand found a place in the team, the petitioner has demanded that all the aforementioned players should not be given their certificates and match fee.

“On December 10, we had given another memorandum to the CBI along with the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA). We have pointed out instances of age fudging in case of some players who are being given incentives and chosen to be awarded by OCA. We are demanding that as age fudging has surfaced against these players, OCA should probe the matter first then award them” said convenor of All India Anti Corruption Association, Subrat Nanda.

The concerned cricketers and their guardians declined to comment on the allegations.

“Meanwhile, OCA secretary Ashirbad Behera said, “The Association which has brought the charges is an all-India association. I would recommend them to conduct a probe into the cricket associations of other states and ask them to file an affidavit on the ages of their players. Otherwise, Odisha will be victimized.”

Earlier, the BCCI banned 20 Odisha cricketers, including 7 women cricketers, for 1 year for their involvement in age fudging.