13-Oct-2007 103
Orissa may boast of several chess internationals in its rank, but the game and the players continue to languish largely due to dubious functioning of the Orissa State Chess Association (OSCA).
Founded in early sixties with the objective to promote the game in the State, OSCA is alleged to be functioning more for the interest of a couple of its leading office-bearers.
Supposed to have affiliates in all the 30 districts and other chess-promoting organisations, OSCA, till date, has managed only seven. Affiliated units are harassed, instead of extending support to them for the growth of the game.
OSCA has life and annual members with voting rights. But nobody, except secretary Siddheswar Mohapatra, knows the total number of members. But Mohapatra is unwilling to disclose the list.
When contacted by media persons, Mohapatra`s stern reply was: ‘‘Journalists have no business to know all these things.’’
President Arati Bijoy Mohanty could not give the exact figure. ‘‘I guess, we have around 25 life and 28 annual members,’’ he said casually.
Though a large number of players, including two International Masters, are eager to become members, their requests have been ignored.
‘‘This is nothing but a ploy by the president and the secretary to keep the administrative control to themselves,’’ alleged Cuttack District Chess Association (CDCA) working president Asit Mukherjee.
During the past 32 years, OSCA has neither hosted nor let its affiliates to host a National event. This year, CDCA obtained All India Chess Federation’s green signal to organise the National Team Championship here. But the two OSCA officials sabotaged the event.
The State body earns good money every year through Government grant and private sponsorship, but spends little on the players.
‘‘OSCA does not even bear players’ participation expenses in official National championships. In State tournaments, players do not get drinking water, let alone trophies or prize money,’’ lamented senior player Manoj Kumar Panigrahi.
Though OSCA needs a building to have a permanent base of its own, no effort has been made to construct one or get it from the Government. But president Mohanty is now residing in a Government quarter, which has been allotted to Bhubaneswar Chess Association (BCA).
‘‘On what basis the Government provided the quarter to BCA? Will it extend the same facility to other State and district sports bodies?’’ questioned senior player and coach Satya Ranjan Patnaik.
Swayangshu Satyapragyan, the State’s first home-grown International Master, says he will never forget the shabby treatment OSCA meted out to him during his formative years. ‘‘OSCA once tried to sabotage my participation in the Asian sub-junior championship, where I became joint winner eventually,’’ he recalls.
Disappointed with the sorry state of affairs, OSCA working president K K Nath has decided to vent his anger. ‘‘Officials should mend their ways or quit,’’ remarked Nath, adding that he has called a general body meeting next month to deliberate on the irregularities.
Meanwhile, CDCA has decided start a campaign against the highhandedness of the OSCA bosses. ‘‘We will take all possible steps to make chess administration democratic and transparent in the State,’’ vows CDCA secretary Vivek Kumar Tibarewal.
