Judo students of Meghalaya Judo Association (MJA) have strongly condemned the physical assault of a young Judo student by Judo coach Jobi Warlarpih at the SAI training centre at Polo here recently.
In a statement issued here today, the students also questioned MJA general secretary Dipak Mallick for allowing Warlarpih to coach the students on Judo “when he did not possess Judo coaching certificate and also did not know how to play Judo.”
“Dipak Mallick should clarify on the matter otherwise he should resign from the post of MJA general secretary and also from the post of joint secretary of Judo Federation of India,” the students said.
They also urged the Sports Department to immediately stop Warlarpih from conducting Judo coaching in the State.
The students also alleged that since 2015, MJA had become a personal association of Mallick who carried out his own decisions as the association’s president Phrang R. Bareh is staying in Jowai.
They also said that the present body of MJA was elected without the knowledge and consent of members and even a new president was appointed in place of Bareh without going through the proper process.
“Since 2015, there have been no tournaments conducted by MJA at the State level, school level or inter-district levels. Mallick always allowed students from outside the State to represent Meghalaya at various national Judo championships,” they alleged.
According to them, under the leadership of Mallick, Judo players of Meghalaya have lost various facilities such as scholarship from Sports Authority of India (SAI), representation in national tournaments, etc.
“We therefore urge the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs as well as Meghalaya State Olympic Association to suspend Meghalaya Judo Association and to ask Mallick to refund all the funds that he obtained from the government as he has not done anything to promote Judo in our State,” the students demanded.
