After BFI forms ad hoc committee, HC gives nod to Satara b'ball meet

Nagpur: In a welcome relief to scores of players currently participating in the under-16 basketball tournament in Satara, the Nagpur bench of Bombay high court on Wednesday gave the green signal to the organizers to carry on with the event after the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) constituted an ad hoc body on Friday.

Earlier, through its counsel Shreerang Bhandarkar, the BFI had submitted an affidavit naming Chander Mukhi Sharma as the chairman of the ad hoc body and Bhupinder Shahi and Mandeep Garewal as members.

This ad hoc body would further constitute an organizing committee by inviting names from all basketball associations for conducting the tournament which began in Satara on Thursday.

“We, therefore, permit BFI to proceed further with the functioning of the ad hoc body. We make it clear that it shall not be necessary for this body to either negotiate or hear the associations on the constitution of its organizing committee to supervise and control the inter-district basketball tournament. The parties agree that the venue/place of the U-16 tournament would be in Satara,” a division bench comprising justices Ravi Deshpande and Shreeram Modak said.

The bench clarified that it would also be open for the ad hoc body to decide the venue/place to conduct the rest of the tournaments.

“Neither the ad hoc body nor the organizing committee shall entertain any dispute or objection regarding participation of any player or place of the tournament if raised by any association. All the observations made by HC are prima facie in nature and subject to alteration and modification as well as further hearing,” the judges said, before adjourning the hearing to June 17.

The HC’s directives came while hearing a case by the Nagpur District Basketball Association (NDBA) objecting to the ongoing Under-16 tournament organized by the Maharashtra State Basketball Association (MSBA) and Satara District Basketball Association (SDBA).

The petitioner, through counsels Shreehari Aney and Ravi Sanyal prayed for staying the event contending that the MSBA’s affiliation was kept in abeyance by the BFI following complaints of irregularities.

“We’re conscious of the fact that it is neither the constitutional nor the statutory right to file this petition. It is in the interest and welfare of basketball players and our own in sporting activities which made us pass an order on April 16,” the judges said.

After Tuesday’s marathon hearing between top lawyers — Aney and senior counsel Sunil Manohar for MSBA and Bhandarkar, all sides agreed to the suggestion that the HC hearing pertaining to basketball should be restricted to the tournament at KDS Shanbhag Vidyalaya in Satara.

The HC noted that the MSBA was initially affiliated to BFI in 1955 and 1961. After BFI recently found that MSBA wasn’t registered with the Registrar of Societies, it put the affiliation granted to it in abeyance on March 1. Subsequently, participation by players, either from the state basketball association or district basketball association, was not be recognized by BFI.

(With inputs from Samidha Raut)

WHAT THE HIGH COURT SAID

* All parties agree to the venue/place of the U-16 tournament in Satara

* It is for the ad hoc body to decide the venue to conduct the rest of the events

* Neither the ad hoc body nor the organizing committee will entertain any dispute

* All observations made in this case are prima facie in nature

* They are subject to alteration/modification & further hearing