Alok Kumar is four times national snooker champion, three times national billiards champion, Asian Games Busan Silver Medallist, World Billiards Championship Silver medallist.But his CV did not impress the selection panel which recruited seven DSPs under sports quota. The panel hadn’t announced any age limit, but set one on the spot during the Feb 17 interview — One had to be born in or after 1976. Alok is 1968 born. He didn’t know this, he was preparing for the Asian Pool tour’s first leg. ‘‘I went to Chandigarh for this interview,’’ he said.But golfer Amarbir Singh Lehal, aka Sandy, born in 1981, could not be stopped due to the age bar, but still he was rejected. He has represented Punjab in the National Games, and won the team gold medal, he was selected to represent India in SAARC games.‘‘Alok was rejected because he was overage. What about Sandy,’’ asks a senior player.He gave the example of javelin thrower Jagdish Bishnoi, India’s champion with a throw of 77m.He was also rejected on age grounds. ‘‘Most people are not angry because they were rejected, they are livid because of those who were selected. Both the Chahals have played at very junior level in school,’’ says Sandy’s father Sukhjit Singh Lehel. Shockingly, the two have not been known to have kept in touch with the game ever since.
