At National School Squash Championships, parents decry mismanagement, threats over complaints; officials dismiss allegations

Ashwini, a mother with two children representing the Goa team, raised concerns about the inconsistent schedule of the event, and the considerable distance between the venue and accommodation. “My sons had woken up at 5:30 am. The under-17 events started today at 8 pm and will continue until midnight. Next day, we have to be there by 8 am again,” she said.

“All participants are encountering challenges as there is no designated space for them to wait for their event. The large hall, which could have been an ideal space for players to relax, remains closed. It was only opened yesterday for the inauguration session,” she further added.

A coach from Haryana, who wished to remain anonymous as per rule from the School Games Federation of India, said the journey from Balewadi Stadium to Undri takes about 2 hours, and demands a similar and sometimes longer duration. “After all the tiring travel, if players finish their event, they have to wait until night on an empty stomach. This delays the return to the venue,” he said.

Sushmita, a volleyball player whose son is on the Madhya Pradesh team, bemoaned the lack of water, food and washroom facilities. Disappointed with the untimely food service and its poor quality, she decided to relocate her accommodation to Kothrud temporarily due to her son’s health concerns. “There’s a designated restroom for boys and another for girls, but the girls bathroom door was inaccessible. In addition, the portable toilet provided by PMC had broken blocks, and packed food lay scattered near the seating area. The lack of ventilation inside the court resulted in children vomiting.”

Amit Anand, a father from Delhi said the parents were instructed to remain silent as coaches hold the authority to represent players. He said he and his daughter are staying in the city instead of the given accommodation. “It’s unfair that parents are not allowed to raise concerns about poor management. We spoke to them about our concerns, and the District Sports Officer threatened to disqualify us from the game. Serving puris in the meals is not ideal for players participating,” he added.

Tamil Nadu’s team manager Samuel spoke about the inadequate transport facilities to ferry players from the accommodation to the venue. “Only three buses were available, often delayed, leading to player exhaustion. When children expressed fatigue and requested to return, they threatened to withhold participation certificates,” he said.

Mahade Kasgawde, DSO, said that they provided full facilities for players but some parents remain dissatisfied. “We arranged food and snacks as per School Games Federation of India (SGFI) guidelines with an SGFI observer present. Although we arranged seven buses for players, mismanagement of time among teams caused delays, resulting in late arrivals at the venue,” he explained.

“We had a budget of around RS 50 lakh, but about Rs 20 lakh has not been received yet. The Indian Oil company has sponsored T-shirts for players. We made a deal with the water company for two hundred boxes of bottles,” he said.

Explaining the lack of washrooms, the DSO said that the academy has been newly built and they have also arranged alternate mobile toilets from the corporation. He denied receiving any complaint letters, contrary to claims made by coaches and parents.

“Only a few parents staying outside the hostel raised concerns, not everyone. This demotivates us to host the next event,’ DSO added.