Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, 7 Sep: Accusing the sports department and the Sports Authority of Arunachal (SAA) of indulging in nepotism and abuse of power in the recent appointment of archery coach, gold and silver medals winner in the National Games, Sorang Yumi on Tuesday returned her medals and certificates to the Arunachal Archery Association as a mark of protest.
Addressing a press conference at the press club here, Yumi accused Sports Director Tadar Apa of abusing his power by appointing his brother-in-law, one Taba Nikia, as the archery coach. Yumi said that she has been deprived of the job in spite of her meritorious achievements in archery and her having the requisite degree for the post of the archery coach.
Reportedly, Yumi has bagged 20 medals so far for the state, including a gold medal and a silver medal in the National Games held in Kerala in 2015, besides two international medals.
The sports director had floated an advertisement for walk-in interviews for six posts of coaches in various disciplines on 29 December, 2020, under the Khelo India Centre scheme, specially for former champion athletes.
“As per the Khelo India scheme, first preference should be given to individual and team sportspersons who represented India at recognized international competitions under recognized state associations of the respective sports,” Yumi said.
“I am the first Arunachalee to win the team gold medal in the National Games and also the first and only archer to win an individual silver medal in the National Games for Arunachal Pradesh. However, despite bringing all the accolades for the state, grave injustice has been done to me by the sports director by recommending his brother-in-law with the help of his obsequious board members,” Yumi claimed.
She further claimed that Taba Nikia is her junior who has not won a single medal at either the national or the international level.
Yumi has lodged an FIR with the vigilance department against the sports director. She alleged that the director maliciously introduced “tactics and techniques” in the scoresheet evaluation just to deny her the post in order to appoint his brother-in-law.
“I have been compelled to come before the media to bring the injustice being done to me in the public domain, so that no meritorious sportsperson should be deprived in the future,” she added.
She also alleged that the director had denied her the opportunity to participate in the Asian Games, and said that the state’s archery association is yet to give her certificates for five medals. Yumi further claimed that the sports department did not put her name on the list for incentives which the department recently disbursed to meritorious sportspersons.
She has also filed an FIR with the SIC against SAA Director Gumnya Karbak, alleging that Karbak appointed her junior Tash Kara as an instructor, denying her the post.
Yumi’s relative Sorang Tada appealed to the state government to look into the matter, and requested for immediate action against the sports director “for abusing power and misusing his position.”
When contacted, Sports Director Tadar Apa did not deny the accusation levelled against him by Yumi. He informed that the government ordered “re-evaluation of the results of coach in archery.” The matter was evaluated again and a clarification was sent to the director general of the Sports Authority of India (SAI), and the department is awaiting reply from the SAI, he said.
