Testing time women’s cricket in Orissa

After the merger of Women’s Cricket Association of India (WCAI) with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), it’s time the warring office-bearers of Association of Women’s Cricket in Orissa (AWCO) buried their hatchet and worked in tandem for the betterment of the game in the State. Unfortunately, the State officials are not willing to do so. While one faction, headed by president Jyoti Swain prepares to conduct the State body’s election eight months ahead of the schedule, the faction, led by secretary Sabita Routray, gears up to take control of the AWCO with the help of the WCAI and the Orissa Cricket Association (OCA). Earlier this year, AWCO removed Routray for making a mess of the Senior East Championship and appointed Pradosh Kumar Mishra as interim secretary for six months. But defiant Routray, who is also an office-bearer of WCAI, continued to hold on to her post in the State body and even conducted the State championship at Cuttack with OCA secretary Asirbad Behera providing her full support. The Swain-led group too organised the State meet at Puri, besides announcing an event-packed future plan. Surprisingly, the WCAI did not make any effort to end the infighting in the AWCO. However, the National body allowed both Routray and Mishra attend its special executive committee meeting at Mumbai on July 23 last. Meanwhile, the merger seemed to have reignited the fighting between the two State bodies of the game. Sabita Routray on Wednesday told reporters that WCAI president Ranee Naraha would come to Orissa on September 6 to help the merger of men’s and women’s cricket bodies in the State. ‘‘Precisely, Narah is coming to facilitate the formation of the AWCO wing, which will manage women’s cricket in Orissa in association with OCA,’’ she explained. Routray termed the Swain group’s announcement to conduct election at this juncture ‘‘an exercise in futile and aimed at misleading the public’’. Contacted, Swain confirmed AWCO election next month but could not do so about the visit of Narah. ‘‘After the removal of Routray, an early election of AWCO had become necessary for the composition of a four-member women’s wing to function in collaboration with the men’s game in the State,’’ Swain told this paper over phone. She, however, admitted that her group had made no effort to be in touch with OCA. ‘‘We are yet to get any communication in this regard from WCAI,’’ Swain pointed out. She said if the merger took place on mutual consent, the agreement was yet to be formalised. ‘‘The general body meeting of WCAI would be held on September 11 to decide on the terms and conditions of the merger. AWCO would act as per the decisions of that GB meeting,’’ Swain said. Narah, who is also a member of Parliament, and secretary Subhangi Kulkarni were not available for comment. However, observers feel that the warring factions should join hands to revive the game in the State.