Vikrant claimed that once the voting procedure is changed he would take efforts so that the association’s other irregularities can be sorted out.
Vikrant Prasad wants to put a bell around the cat named Bengal State Table Tennis Association (BSTTA). The state association’s forthcoming election scheduled to be held on 7th February has been deferred by the Calcutta High Court following a petition filed by Vikrant alleging that BSTTA issued the election notice illegally.
Vikrant's key focus is on the violation of the BSTTA constitution which the existing committee members have been violating consistently.
Vikrant who is a licensed table tennis coach and works as a coach in Siliguri spoke over phone from Siliguri, "How could BSTTA's existing executive committee empower voting rights to 27 districts whereas West Bengal has 23 districts? Among these districts four to five districts at least, do not deserve voting rights."
Vikrant also mentioned that BSTTA has not followed the Sports Code set by the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI). “If it is followed then nine of the executive committee members should not be eligible to contest in the election including the secretary Sharmi Sengupta and Swapan Banerjee who is originally vice-president. Mayank Jalan was the president and he already resigned from the president's post," revealed Vikrant.
Questions have been raised over the joint secretary's post. Former India international and Arjuna Awardee Mantu Ghosh is the joint secretary along with Sharmi Sengupta.
Vikrant informed, “Joint-secretary’s post can be retained constitutionally. But none among Mantu and Sharmi are eligible to hold this post. If the central government's sports code is followed then any of the central government employees can hold an administrative chair in any sports organization for a term of only four years and Sharmi Sengupta has already completed an eight-year term as an administrator."
Vikrant claimed that once the voting procedure is changed he would efforts so that the association’s other irregularities can be sorted out.
“The state association spent nearly Rs 1 Crore while organizing the recently concluded Youth Nationals. But has the association ever disclosed its income? Why do the paddlers travel to participate in the national ranking tournaments in the train's sleeper class?"
Vikrant claimed, "Bengal has been producing consistent performance at the national level. All credit should go to individual effort, respective coaches' effort, and the parents' intense desire. What has been BSTTA's contribution? It works like a post office.”
The NIS coach who has been associated with table tennis for three decades especially mentioned Ankur Bhattacharya’s name.
He stated, “It is unfortunate to see BSTTA’s callousness. They must have tried to organize a felicitation program and a hefty cash incentive for Ankur Bhattacharya who has been winning gold medals in tournaments like Khelo India Youth Games for the last couple of years."
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Amit Dam
Feb 4, 2024 | 10:33 AMWhy joint secretary. A association must be General SecretaryJoint secretary may be more.When we quarry one jt secretary says I don't know other says I don't know. Who knows.So must be General Secretary in BSTTA who can answerIt is till shame players plays national but not received participation certificate
BIJAN CHAKRABORTY
Feb 3, 2024 | 4:45 PMGreat jobs , I hope after this circumstances BSTTA a new format association for promotion of Bengal Table Tennis