Age-limit row clouds Kottayam revenue district sports championship

Kottayam: Allegations of age-limit violations rocked the first day of the Kottayam Revenue District School Sports Championships on Thursday, with athletes, parents and trainers confronting education department officials demanding action.

The complaints centre on allegations that some schools had fielded students from other states in violation of the prescribed age limits.

The issue came to light after the 100-metre races in the junior and senior categories were held on Thursday morning. Some athletes and parents alleged that certain participants had submitted forged documents to establish their eligibility to compete.

Following the incident, Shine Joseph and Smitha Shine, parents of one of the participants, filed a complaint with Honey G Alexander, the Deputy Director of Education, Kottayam. She said the age-related documents submitted by the participants would be verified with the concerned authorities and assured that appropriate action would be taken if any irregularities were found.

Honey was surrounded by a group of athletes, parents and trainers who demanded strict action against those found to have violated the rules. The Deputy Director reiterated that the allegations would be investigated and that appropriate measures would be taken based on the findings.
The championship is being held at St. Dominic's College in Kanjirappally.