Cuttack, July 1: Too many cooks spoil the broth goes the adage and the various state bodies controlling taekwondo at the national level and in Odisha have done just that to the game. This has left the players in the state confused and concerned.

Adding to the controversy, a local court has directed the Taekwondo Federation of India (TFI) not to allow any team from Odisha other than those representing the Odisha Taekwondo Association (OTA) to take part in championships organised by the federation.

The court of civil judge (senior division), Cuttack, issued the direction on a suit filed by the association’s general secretary Gopal Chandra Ray. The association, constituted in 1978, is affiliated both to the Odisha Olympic Association, the apex sports body in the state, and the federation.

Ray filed the suit, alleging that the federation had “illegally” allowed another team from Odisha by the name of “TFI-Odisha” to take part in the last two national championships at the behest of federation president Harish Kumar “to create a parallel association of their choice”.

The petition said the TFI-Odisha team was “unauthorised”, because it was an unregistered body and not affiliated to or recognised by the federation, Odisha Olympic Association, state government or the Odisha Council of Sports.

“The players representing Odisha-TFI team are being harassed because they are not getting any certificate to get facilities such as their weightage of mark, government service and other benefits from the state government. They are also not recognised by the Odisha Taekwondo Association and this has created discontentment among the players and their guardians,” Ray said.

The confusion of the players does not end here.

Numerous bodies in India such as the Taekwondo Association of India, the Federation of Indian Taekwondo, the Federation of Taekwondo in India and the TFI organise Korean martial art championships. These bodies are affiliated either to the North Korean International Taekwondo Federation or the South Korean World Taekwondo Federation (WTF). Hence, players of only certain bodies get a chance to take part in the national and international championships organised by various taekwondo groups.