The age fudging controversy has been haunting the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) for several years and the State cricket body has faced huge embarrassment on several occasions, but it seems it has failed to learn any lessons.
In 2016, 19 Odisha cricket players were banned for one year by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) based on a CBI report which found them guilty of age fudging.
But unfortunately in 2019 the corrupt practice is still continuing and overage players continue to submit forged certificates to play for the State at the cost of deserving genuine cricketers.
Of course, this has been possible due to some unscrupulous OCA officials, who in nexus with these players manipulate the records and birth certificates of the overage players allowing them to play in under- 19 and under-23 age group cricket. In the process they grab lakhs of rupees as match money from BCCI.
To make matters worse, the OCA is flouting the Supreme guidelines and not uploading the date of birth and other details of the players in its website. Instead it is asking to submit an affidavit in support of their age proof.
Taking advantage of it some players are reducing their age by three to four years and submitting fake affidavits and date of birth in support of their age. It is alleged that a racket is active behind these manipulations.
Though OCA has been repeatedly asked to conduct a probe or inquiry into these allegations, it has surprisingly turned a deaf ear to it, which has raised many an eyebrow. Besides, this is leading to recoding of false date of birth in the database of the BCCI and the OCA.
In the latest incident, one Rajesh Mohanty , who has been selected to play for the Indian Green team, is under the scanner.
In his birth certificate, the date of birth has been mentioned as 20.5.2000. Mohanty played for the under-16 team in 2015, submitting a forged certificate, even though his age was more than that, alleged the All India Anti Corruption Organisation in a complaint to the BCCI CAO Binod Rai.
In 2016, Mohanty was selected for the under-19 age group State camp.
AS per the BBCI guidelines he submitted the documents, but when he was asked by OCA to submit an affidavit supporting his age, he furnished the date of birth and affidavit, which did not match with the date of birth which he had submitted for the under 16 cricket in 2015, the organisation further alleged. For this he was suspended for one year.
The All India Anti Corruption Organisation State convenor Subrat Kumar Nanda has demanded the BCCI to verify the birth certificate, school leaving certificate and other documents of Mohanty.