J&K CM Omar Abdullah Questions Politicization of Santosh Trophy Row

Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council had already dismissed the allegations as misleading and defended the selection as merit-based and transparent.

Meanwhile, J&K team defeated Ladakh 3-0 in the first qualifier match of 79th NFC Santosh Trophy presently underway at Mahilpur in Punjab. The team will play its second match against Himachal Pradesh on December 17 and 3rd match against host team Punjab on December 19.

"Why is this happening? If any child is taken in the team on the basis of influence, then they have no justification to be part of the team," Abdullah said, stressing that the players were chosen purely on the basis of talent and performance.

Speaking to media persons on the sidelines of a function here this evening, the chief minister said all the players selected for the Santosh trophy have qualified on the basis of their talent. "I don't understand why politicians are bringing politics into everything. Politics is played over children securing seats in medical colleges. The children worked hard and got selected in the team. Now politics is being dragged into this as well," the Chief Minister said, referring to earlier demand of BJP for revocation of the first admission list in the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME) and reserving all 50 seats for students having faith in deity.

He dismissed any discrimination with Jammu in the selection process and requested the politicians to keep sports and education separate from politics. Earlier, the sports minister said "taking cognizance of the media reports regarding issues in selection of team for football championship for Santosh Trophy, a detailed impartial enquiry shall be held in a time-bound manner.

"I assure all that violation of the merit-based selection policy by anyone will result in severe consequences and appropriate punitive measures," the minister said in a social media post.

Alleging an "illegal and discriminatory" selection process for the trophy, J&K BJP Spokesperson Rajni Sethi on Sunday claimed that all players from Jammu were rejected and only players from Kashmir were selected for the Santosh trophy team.

"...the National Conference government continues to repeatedly hurt the sentiments of the youth of Jammu through biased and discriminatory policies," she said and added that Jammu had high expectations from Satish Sharma, who belongs to Jammu, but he "followed the same discriminatory approach."

Responding the same day, a sports council official said, "The players for the Santosh Trophy were selected in a process lasting more than one-and-a-half months. In the absence of the J&K football Association due to non-conduct of elections, the sports council has been raising the teams in coordination with the All India Football Federation for the past two years and has ensured merit-based and transparent selection."

The official further said that after the trials, out of 51 players, 32, including eight from the Jammu region, were shortlisted for the residential coaching camp in Jammu from November 21.

The camp continued till December 12, and the selection committee finally selected 23 players, including four from Jammu, for the team to represent J&K in the Santosh Trophy, the official said and added that one of the Jammu boys could not join due to some examination, while another is joining the team in the coming days.