Some of the students expelled from Panposh Sports Hostel in Rourkela. Picture by Uttam Kumar Pal

Rourkela, June 22: Seven students, including five girls, today alleged that the Panposh Sports Hostel authorities threw them out without citing any reason.

The students, who had been staying in the hostel meant for budding hockey players for nearly four years, were expelled last week by the authorities on grounds that they were unfit.

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a hostel official said: “It is a regular process to remove students who do not do well after prolonged coaching and new students are taken in their places. The students were removed from the hostel according to the state government’s rule. However, the students alleged that they were removed because they had refused to sign on a document seeking removal of a coach.”

The Sports Hostel Scheme was launched in 1985 to enable talented young sportspersons to undergo systematic coaching for a prolonged period. Young, talented boys and girls in the age group of 10 and 14 years are selected from the grassroots level through a rigorous process of tests and are trained to take part in state and national events.

The hostel, run by the sports directorate, at present provides boarding and lodging facilities to 79 students.

Sarojini Ekka, one of the girls, who was expelled, said that one or two of them could be unfit, but she alleged that not signing on the document was the main reason for their removal. “We did not sign on the papers and that’s way he had recommended to the sports department for our removal from the hostel,” said Ekka.

She said that one of the expelled students Birajini Ekka, who had attended national-level events, was also declared unfit in the report of the superintendent. The aggrieved students have submitted a memorandum to the additional district magistrate seeking reconsideration of the decision.

Superintendent of the hostel Amulya Bihari said: “It is a regular practice to remove students from the hostel who do not perform well consistently and there are no more chances of their representing the state or the country. We induct fresh sportspersons against their vacancies.”

He refuted the allegations of having personal grudges against the expelled students and said that they had been provided notice to improve earlier. “The report we send from here is not the final one. The sports directorate has its committee and they review our recommendations and take action against the students. We follow all the rules while recommending students removal,” said Bihari.

He said that the expelled students were free to play for clubs or utilise hockey facilities available to outsiders here. But they will not be provided the boarding facilities like earlier. Additional district magistrate R.N. Mishra told The Telegraph that he would look into the matter. He would forward the memorandum of the expelled students to the authorities concerned.