Minister's son Ashok Sigamani becomes TNCA President

CHENNAI: Dr P Ashok Sigamani, son of Tamil Nadu Minister for Higher Education K Ponmudy, was on Saturday elected as president of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA).

The post of TNCA president was lying vacant after Rupa Gurunath, who in September 2019 became the first woman to head a cricket association in India, had resigned in December 2021.

The new office-bearers were elected at the 90th Annual General Meeting of TNCA here. Retired IAS officer Dr D Chandrasekaran, former State Election Commissioner, was appointed as the electoral officer.

All the office-bearers were elected unanimously after three candidates -- S Prabhu, Durgampudi Siva Kesava Reddy and R R Kalidas Vandayar -- withdrew their nominations unconditionally and also decided to withdraw all the cases filed by them challenging the election process. Subsequently, all the posts were elected unanimously, a TNCA press release said. Apart from the post of the president, two candidates filed nominations for the post of honorary joint secretary and assistant secretary. Adam Sait was elected vice-president while veteran administrator R I Palani returned as the honorary secretary. The other office-bearers are Honorary Joint secretary: K Shivakumar; Honorary assistant secretary: R N Baba; Honorary treasurer: T J Srinivasaraj.

Apex council members: City: U Bhagwandas Rao, K N Naresh, Yusuf Yunus Laila, V Arunachalam, Balaji Maradapa, T K Rushyendra Kumar; Districts: R M Lakshman Narayan, K Sanjay, N Sivaramakrishnan.

Former state cricketer D Girish, S Madhavan and former India woman cricketer Sudha Shah were appointed by the General Body to the Cricket Advisory Committee for 2022-2025.

Further, the General body also appointed P Anand, V Pratish Vedhapuddi and A Jaffer Ashique Ali (cricketers' representative) into the TNPL Governing Council for 2022-23.

The General Body unanimously approved the Pension Scheme of Rs 10,000 per month for retired first-class cricketers, who have played between 10 and 24 matches for Tamil Nadu.

Retired Justice Parthiban was appointed as the Ethics officer and Ombudsman to the TNCA in place of retired Justice Kannan. Talking to reporters later, the new president Sigamani said, ''Probably in future we can think about contracts for state cricketers.'' He also said emphasis would be laid on the Tamil Nadu team winning the Ranji Trophy, which the state had last won in the 1987-88 season.