1 day ago
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With yet another complaint of age fraud arising at the Kerala School Sports Meet, Minister for General Education V. Sivankutty has said that those responsible for the fraud will not be allowed to take part in the school meet or any other meet.
The results of senior girls’ 100 m and 200 m at the meet were withheld following complaints that the silver medallist in both the events had committed age fraud.
After the contestant hailing from Uttar Pradesh, but representing St. Joseph’s Higher Secondary School (HSS), Pulloorampara in Kozhikode district competed in the under-19 category, RM HSS, Aloor, and BEM HSS, Palakkad, submitted an official complaint that her date of birth as on the Athletics Federation of India website made her ineligible to compete in the U-19 category.
The results of both the events have now been changed with the contestants in the third and fourth place moved up to second and third positions respectively.
St. Joseph’s found itself in a fresh controversy after the gold medallist in the sub-junior boys’ 100-m and 200-m categories, who is also from Uttar Pradesh, was also alleged to have committed age fraud.
Responding to complaints of age fraud and money changing hands to bring young sportspersons from other States to compete in the school sports meet, the Minister said strict action would be taken in such cases. He also referred to illegal practices that had come to the department’s attention such as children of coaches competing in events and the coaches acting as judges in those events.
“Action will be taken against schools too. No leniency will be shown against those trying to besmirch the reputation of such an event,” the Minister said.
An executive order would be brought out to check such fraud, he added.
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