AICF President and Secretary at loggerheads

The official added AICF President PR Venketrama Raja has put the players’ interest at risk by going ahead with the urgent meeting of General Body on Saturday. “The Special Meeting of the AICF General Body will be held as scheduled. It was a meeting properly called. Further, there are no additional expenses involved for AICF. A meeting of AICF’s Central Council was also called on the same day. As per AICF rules, the Central Council should meet four times in a year,” said AICF Secretary Bharat Singh Chauhan.

“The President has risked the interests of the players by holding the urgent meeting despite the Central government asking him to cancel it or face actions like suspension/de-recognition,” remarked Chauhan. Concurring with him was International Master Varugeese Koshy. “It is important to have a good relationship with the government. If the recognition to AICF is suspended or revoked, then the youngsters who play in the age group categories would be largely affected,” said Koshy.

“The young players will not be able to play for the nation in Asian and other international tournaments,” he added. Chauhan, Koshy and other chess players said the game survives in the country with the financial support given by the government. Concerned at the power struggle at AICF, 12 Grandmasters, nine International Masters, three Woman Grandmasters and one Woman International Master had sent a letter to the Secretary of Sports Ministry to intervene and put a rest to the current infighting in the Indian chess body.

In a letter to Raja on Friday, the Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs had said: “It has been observed that a meeting has been called by the President on 14.12.2019 and by the Secretary on 22.12.2019 with almost the same agenda. The meeting proposed to be convened by the AICF President on 14.12.2019 may be cancelled and meeting may be held on 22.12.2019 as scheduled by AICF Secretary, so that the government observer is able to attend the meeting,” the letter noted.

“In case, the directions of the Ministry are not complied with and there is an attempt to suppress the complaints regarding financial irregularities, the government will take a serious view in the matter, warranting action for suspension/de-recognition of the Federation by the Ministry,” it added.