Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (MS)
Mangaluru, Feb 7: Former United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Goa cricketer Dayanand Bangera has alleged discrimination by the selectors who pick players for the under-19 team of Mangaluru zone.
Speaking to Daijiworld, Dayanand Bangera said, “I received several complaints from Udupi and Mangaluru over selection process. The selectors pick players from Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Kodagu districts which is combined as Mangaluru zone. It looks like there are different rules for different players in Udupi and Mangaluru. The selection committee in Mangaluru is appointed by Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). Parents and children are afraid to speak to the selectors fearing vengeance from them.
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“A player who scored a century and a double century was ignored and not included in Mangaluru district team just because he had quit a club owned by one of the selectors. Such injustice will demotivate the children. The selectors are spoiling the name of KSCA. I have brought this to the notice of KSCA president Roger Binny. Even in U-23 tournament, being an ICC level 2 and ACC level 2 coach, I have seen injustice. The selection process in Mangaluru is totally wrong. They seem following the process of the 70s and 80s which has given scope for cheating,” he said.
“Ravind got the district level ‘Best Batsman’ award in 2016-17 and also secured the highest number of wickets. In 2017-18 also he bagged the district best batsman award in addition to taking highest wickets in less number of matches. He has also secured best batsman at the inter-district college level in 2019-20. We have decided to complain to the PMO in this connection,” Ravind's father Sudheer had said speaking at a press meet earlier.
Further, Karavali Cricket Academy (KCA) president Shanti Mohan has alleged the results of selection of U-19 players from Mangaluru and Udupi districts, to be very unfair. She said that in KSCA Bengaluru U-19 2021 tournament, players like Sachit Ryan, Sahoran and Ravind performed outstandingly well, but are still not selected for the district team.
It is also alleged that a private cricket coaching academy is playing ‘politics’ and players who are below the age of 16 years are being selected for the U-19 team than the U-16 team. That was the case of a player from Udupi. While Rohan Rovenkar, a U-16 player went all the way from Bengaluru to Mangaluru for U-19 selection, he was rejected as he was below the age of 16.