The report of the arrest of the general secretary of the Arunachal Taekwondo Association, Tara Tagin by a special investigation team (SIT) of the Arunachal Pradesh Police for allegedly issuing fake certificates to candidates applying for sports quota in government jobs is not only highly embarrassing but should be an eye-opener for the state. Tara had allegedly issued fake certificates of participation in national and international Taekwondo events. The candidates used the certificates to apply for jobs in the education and power departments. This malicious act has deprived the true sportspersons who brought laurels to the state.
The SIT has done a commendable job in investigating the case. But it should broaden the scope of the investigation. It is alleged that such fake certificates have been issued in other disciplines too. The fake Taekwondo certificates scam is believed to be the tip of the iceberg. There is an allegation that in several other sports disciplines too similar tactics have been used to get a job in government departments. Besides ensuring strong punishment for the members of the sports associations issuing such fake certificates, the SIT should also investigate candidates who used these certificates to get jobs. These candidates should be punished for using such fraudulent methods to get a job. In doing so, they have deprived many deserving sportspersons of their right and have destroyed their future. The investigation should be fast-tracked.