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Journalism of Courage
Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Sarbananda Sonowal Wednesday expressed “shock and outrage” after cagers Amrit Pal Singh and Amjyot Singh were asked to remove their patkas during the recent FIBA Asia Cup in China.
The sports ministry has written to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to secure measures with all international sports federations to avoid any future occurrence of the incident. The body has also approached the Basketball Federation of India seeking a detailed report.
The incident occurred before the Indian team’s opening game against Japan with the technical officials citing an International Basketball Federation (FIBA) rule that bans all headgear that could be used to harm opponents. “They told us that we might be able to conceal objects in our patkas, which can be used to injure other players. They wouldn’t let us play if we didn’t remove them, so we had to play the tournament with our heads uncovered,” said Amjyot Singh.
“We have asked the IOC to issue guidelines to international sports federations so that such incidents do not take place in the future. We have also spoken to the Basketball Federation of India and sought for a detailed report,” the sports minister’s statement read.
It went further to oppose the grounds on which the players were asked to remove their religious headgear. “Wearing a turban does not affect fair play and has not been objected to in international championships. The latest incident has therefore surprised and shocked us,” it said.
Amjyot, 22, who eventually ended the tournament as India’s highest scorer added that being forced to remove the patka actually affected the players’ morale, and not just for spiritual reasons. “Of course our spiritual sentiments were hurt, but we were also mentally disturbed. We’ve played with our heads covered all our lives. Now, when the headgear comes off, you can’t adjust quickly,” he added.
