Guwahati: Players, guardians and coaches accused the Assam Baseball Association secretary Ashma Begum of committing irregularities and demanded her resignation.

They also accused her of holding the Presidential Cup international baseball tournament here by fielding Assam players in teams like Bhutan.

Assam coach Kishan Choudhury alleged that talents from Assam were not getting an opportunity and that Ashma "was taking bribes" from players to select them.

It was alleged that Ashma did not respect senior players. "International players were asked to draw the markings on the ground which is insulting," one of them said.

Ashma said: "Since I was not well, I had paid Choudhury and another person to engage people to do the preparation but they used players to make the markings. I have enough money and don't need bribes. It is a charge levelled against me by some people whom I trained as coach and technical officials by spending from my own purse because I want to develop the sport in this part of the country."

On the Presidential Cup, she said: "Ten teams were supposed participate. The ABFI (Amateur Baseball Federation of India) had contacted the teams. However, most of them did not turn up and we were even deprived of government assistance."

Some alleged an international coaching camp held here recently did not provide any facility to participants nor any certificate issued though Rs 2,000 was charged per participant and had multiple sponsors.

Ashma said: "The Rs 2,000 was the registration fee of the ABFI, which most of our players have not paid. Unless the fee is deposited, the federation won't issue certificates."

Some also alleged that Ashma was misleading young children to join baseball promising they could earn millions of dollars from the sport. "My son is a student of Royal Global School. He was brainwashed by Ashma to play baseball. However, he has not even been awarded certificates for participation in various tournaments," said Anjali Baruah, a parent.