Fresh tension is brewing between Basketball Federation of India and Goa Olympic Association after GOA presented an 'outsider' to represent the BFI at a press conference held recently to announce the Goa-India squads for Lusofonia Games 2014.
BFI CEO Roopam Sharma has strongly objected to Goa Olympic Association presenting Association of Goan Basketball Secretary Atmaram Desai as the representative for basketball during the press briefing.
"I would like to convey that in the press conference held on Tuesday, none of the BFI officials were invited. However, we have come to know that some outsider spoke and presented views regarding the conduct of basketball events, falsely implicating that he was the official spokesperson of the BFI. This is completely incorrect and seriously objectionable," Sharma wrote in a mail to Games CEO Keshav Chandra.
BFI has maintained that Goa Basketball Association, headed by Fr Ralin D'Souza is the only affiliated unit of the national federation and it will not entertain any involvement of AGB, an unrecognised body which is affiliated to GOA, in the conduct of the sport at the Games.
"Representation of BFI by GOA or any official other than deputed or nominated by BFI, is strictly unacceptable to BFI and we do not endorse any comments in this regard, whatsover," Sharma said in the correspondence to Lusofonia Games Organising Committee.
The BFI has also told the LUGOC that it will not accept team kits provided by GOA and the cagers representing the Goa-India team will only wear kits provided by Li-Ning as their official sponsor. BFI, however, will use the ceremonial kits provided by the Sports Authority of Goa.
