Police-sports office tussle mars CM’s Cup event in Vellore

Hockey and volleyball tournaments were to start at 8 am but were delayed by more than three and a half hours due to the players themselves having to clear the debris left over from a police function held on Friday night.

The TN Sports Development Authority is presently conducting track and field events for the Chief Minister’s Cup here where youth below 24 years are eligible to participate. While kabaddi, judo and track events were held in the grounds inside the Vellore Fort, tennis was held in Sathuvachari and boxing competitions at Kagithapattari nearby. The events which started on February 14 will end on Monday.

District sports officials said that “though we were given permission to host track events in the stadium on Friday, we were denied permission at the last minute due to which we were forced to shift the venue to the Fort ground.”

When the winners of the above events turned up at the stadium to receive their certificates and cheques from the district sports officer the same evening, they were chased away from the spot by DSP Vinayagam, who bluntly ordered them to get out.

Sports officials then told DSP Vinayagam that certificates and cheques could not be written and issued on the road and thus ensured that the 100 participants got their dues at the stadium itself before leaving. This despite the fact that district sports office is inside the stadium, just below the spectators gallery.