Despite norms, age proof isn't part of game

MUMBAI: Ignorance is bliss, it seems, when it comes to the age of athletes in various sporting competitions across the country. Though the Union sports ministry issued guidelines in April 2010 to the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and national sports federations to issue age-verified identity cards to all sportspersons, little has been done at the national level, let alone the domestic scene.
While national camp participants are subject to authorized medical tests, the same is difficult to say about tournaments conducted even at the national level. As the age-old practice goes, it isn't until a person protests on record regarding the age of a particular player that a medical test is carried out on the suspected candidate.
The same held true at the ongoing sub-junior nationals conducted by the Mumbai Hockey Association (MHA). "Bhopal registered a protest after their match, after which we sent their opponents, the Haryana boys, for medical tests," informed MHA secretary Gurbax Singh Grewal. The entire squad was sent for age-determining tests to a clinic in Colaba, though Sion hospital is the only SAI-recognized testing centre in the city. Ten of the 16 players were found overage and the team was banned from the tournament.
Surprisingly, no age proof is demanded at any level of competition, even if it is something as simple as a birth certificate. St Francis D'Assisi competed in the District Sports Office (DSO) Schools Football Nationals in Bhopal last year. It was not asked to produce any age proof. "The DSO issues an eligibility form to the participating team, which is signed by the concerned local DSO official and the school principal. This is considered good enough as far as proof of age is concerned," said D'Assisi coach Thomas Baretto. "It isn't enough really and there has to be a more uniform procedure that is recognized at all levels."
A city coach, whose team has played at the nationals, said, "In most national-level tournaments, it's common to see boys well over the designated age. With no procedure in place, we've just accepted it as a commonplace occurrence. Even after a protest, by the time the results come, they're quit irrelevant."
SAI's Virendra Bhandarkar, assistant director of Maharashtra region, claims they have informed sports bodies at the national level regarding the directive. But most are unaware of the same and none of the teams at the ongoing nationals have been issued any identity cards. "The process is ongoing, but slow, as it can be quite tedious. The in-charge at Sion Hospital has told us how difficult it is to carry out all the stipulated tests on the players, especially on certain days when there are a number of candidates. We're working towards expediting the process and should soon have it in place," he said.
Until then, be assured that the sidelines will be buzzing with gossip about the field having men instead of boys.