Mallakhamb competition: After students allege unfair selection process, MU says initial team to stay

The All India Inter-University Mallakhamb -Men and Women competition 2023-24 is going to be held at Suresh Gyan Vihar University, Jaipur in Rajasthan from December 23 to 26.

Selected students from Mumbai University to participate in the tournament are scheduled to leave for Jaipur on December 20.

As selected members, including those on stand-by are called to MU’s sport’s pavilion for coaching camp, the participants received two different letters.

While one included information on two teams — men and women, including six players and four names of those who are stand-by players — another letter mentioned only 11 names of women.

“This letter also mentions a selection trial on December 15, when a team was already selected,” said a student.

Explaining the formation of the team, the student continued, “Mallakhamb team has six players and four players are kept on stand-by. Accordingly, two teams were declared – one each for men and women. This was following the selection process held at the L S Raheja college in November. But now we received two different letters to report to MU’s sport pavilion for coaching camp and other formalities, the letters have the same date but different names in the women’s team.”

The students shared two different letters, both dated December 11. While one letter has names of all team members – men and women, along with stand-by players. Another letter has names of only the women’s team with one additional name.

“We believe that the selection process is compromised to add one new name to the list of selected players,” said Sachin Pawar, from Yuva Sena who along with students staged a dharna protest outside the office of Vice-Chancellor on Wednesday.

Whereas on Thursday, another students’ union – Yuva Sena (UBT) — submitted a complaint letter to Mumbai University’s Pro-Vice Chancellor.

Meanwhile, in a statement issued on Thursday evening, Mumbai University administration clarified that the team was already finalised in November. “But an affiliated college had requested to consider giving one student a chance to participate in the selection process because she is a national level player but her admission was delayed. However, some students took objection to the re-selection process following which a three-member committee was formed which has recommended that the originally selected team will continue as it is and the re-selection process should be canceled.”