SAA coaches, instructors say recruitment process conducted fairly

Staff Reporter

ITANAGAR, 13 Sep: Following the allegation levelled by international medal-winning archer Sorang Yumi over the recruitment process for coaches and instructors in the sports department, the coaches and instructors of the Sports Authority of Arunachal (SAA) on Monday said that the trial process and interview were conducted fairly.

In a press conference at the Arunachal Press Club here, Tash Kara said that he was selected on the basis of his merit during the interview. “I worked hard to clear the interview and got selected on the basis of my merits during the interview,” he said.

Yumi has lodged an FIR against the SAA director, claiming that she was shocked to see that her junior, Tash Kara, was appointed over her as an instructor, despite winning lesser medals.

Yumi’s allegation has rocked the sports department, forcing the sports & youth affairs secretary to issue a show cause notice to the SAA director, and to instruct the sports director to re-evaluate the examination result.

Kara said: “I came here on my individual behalf to clarify the allegation against me by my senior. I respect her a lot as she is an international medal winner and respect her for the cause she is fighting for. But she has mentioned my name in her allegation. I am pained by her claims. It appeared like I got selected by unfair means.”

“My senior levelled allegations over my educational qualification, sports achievements, seniors and juniors and technique and tactics. I overlooked it, but when she mentioned my name, it appeared that I got selected by unfair means. That is why I came here to clarify,” Kara added.

He went on to say that on 23 November, 2020, an advertisement had been floated for APST candidates for the posts of coaches and instructors, “in which I filled my candidacy as I was qualified for the post. There wasn’t a sports quota, nor was it specified that preference would be given to international medal winners.”

“If there is corruption, as a junior and a sportsperson I fully support her. But dragging my name into her allegation against the SAA director, painting it as if I got selected through illegal means is painful,” he said, expressing displeasure that the allegation has made him a subject of trolling on social media.

Representing the SAA coaches and instructors, judo coach Madin Hina said, “I fully support Sorang Yumi, the cause she is fighting for, if there is any kind of ill works and corruption in the sports department.”

“Action should be taken against particular person according to the law. But innocent persons should not be deprived, defamed and accused because of particular corrupt person,” Hina added, claiming that the trial and interview process for judo coach was fair enough.

“We worked hard to win laurels for the state and worked hard to get this position. We shouldn’t be defamed for something that we didn’t do,” Hina added, issuing a clarification in view of accusations on social media that unfair means were used during the selection process.

“The trial selection that was organized by the SAA was fair enough. I don’t know about other disciplines, but as a judo player, it was fair enough, because we had to go through four different types of tests,” he said.

“After going through all these processes, we got selected and we got a chance to serve our state’s sports. But due to some misunderstanding, some of us are being accused on social media for something we did not do and know nothing about,” Hina said.