Soccer Reward

Jharkhand’s budding soccer stars have found a friend in Lohardaga.

Almost four years ago, the Under-16 boys’ football team lifted the coveted Mir Iqbal Hussain Trophy held in Gurgaon. But, 20 players of the team did not get the total Rs 5 lakh prize money owing to a conflict between two senior office-bearers of Jharkhand Football Association (JFA). The state outfit has finally found a way out of the ugly row.

Rashid Khan, a member from Lohardaga, has been chosen a signatory on the cheque needed to withdraw the prize money, which was transferred by tournament sponsors Coca-Cola, from JFA’s bank account in Giridih.

The encashment could not be made so long because the cheque required signatures of two office-bearers. But, JFA secretary Ghulam Rabbani and treasurer Sanjay Kumar Mahto have both been busy nursing their egos.

“The problem was resolved at our executive committee meeting in Madhupur on Monday. The members have unanimously chosen Khan as one of the signatories on the cheque,” said JFA senior vice-president Ramesh Mehta. He added that except treasurer Mahto all other members were present at the meeting.

According to an insider, Rs 4 lakh would be distributed among the 20 players, while a part of Rs 1 lakh would be handed over to the coach and manager, who accompanied the team to Gurgaon for the tourney in December 2009. “The coach and manager helped the team win and deserve to be rewarded,” said the source.

The players are now expected to be felicitated after Id, either in Ranchi or Bokaro.

Incidentally, the JFA had twice planned to fete the young footballers and distribute the money among them in Ranchi in 2010. But, plans did not materialise as the cheque waited for the signatures of Rabbani and Mahto.

The secretary claimed he had signed the cheque, but the treasurer wasn’t co-operating.

Mahto, however, trashed Rabbani’s claims, challenging the latter to produce the cheque to prove if the latter had indeed signed it. He also said he would go to the JFA headquarters in Giridih if called to complete the formality.

Mahto further accused Rabbani of not maintaining transparency. “Despite being the treasurer, I don’t have a cheque book of JFA’s account. Rabbani keeps it with himself and never shows me the accounts,” he alleged.

Sources within the association, however, revealed that Mahto was deliberately delaying the payment process.

“Mahto has been at loggerheads with the JFA since the affiliation of Chotanagpur Athletics Association, of which he is the secretary, was scrapped,” said a JFA member.

The outfit was disaffiliated two years ago over non-payment of annual registration fee.