Assam Athletics Association vice-president Tayabun Nisha. Picture by Eastern Projections

Guwahati, Aug. 7: The Assam Athletics Association is going all out to project itself as a united house, but vice-president and former international Tayabun Nisha today punched holes in the top brass’s claim of “regularising” inter-district meets.

Nisha claimed that inter-district athletics meets have been a regular annual event ever since the association was instituted. “The only time it defaulted was in the mid-nineties, owing to unavoidable circumstances. Regularity resumed since I assumed office as secretary in 1996. The president should not forget that he himself was involved in organising one of the editions at Naharkatia. Inter-district meets were organised twice in Karbi Anglong and once each at Naharkatia and Nazira during my tenure as secretary,” she said.

President incumbent Pradip Buragohain had claimed, “When we assumed office in 2001, nobody was interested in organising inter-district meets. But now, not only are annual inter-district meets regularly held, organisers and sponsors are eager to host such meets”.

Also taking a dig at the resolution to stop members from speaking publicly on matters concerning the association, Nisha said she was the “last person to tolerate infringement of democratic rights.

“Being a former athlete and responsible citizen, I cannot keep mum when the president is trying to spot a blemish in the history of the association he is heading,” she said.

She also levelled charges of “irresponsibility” against the present dispensation towards coaching and grooming of athletes in the state.

“It is a pity that the association spent Rs 1.34 crore to organise an international meet but fell short of commitment towards state athletes who participated in a national under-20 meet only a week later, without even getting an opportunity to acclimatise themselves to the synthetic track which has come up in the city. The association’s top brass should have taken the initiative to arrange at least a week’s conditioning for those athletes on the synthetic track,” Nisha said.