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Basketball players Amjyot, Arshpreet let off with warning after scuffle

Basketball players Amjyot, Arshpreet let off with warning after scuffle
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By

Sarah Waris

Published: 21 Dec 2019 12:26 PM GMT

Basketball players Amjyot Singh and Arshpreet Bhullar, who were allegedly involved in a road scuffle last month and were injured on their way to the national camp, have been let off with a strict warning and can play in the 70th National Basketball Championships that will be hosted by Punjab.

The Basketball Federation of India (BFI) had learnt that the accident was a result of a drunken fight. Amjyot had alleged that the BFI was threatening him with death threats, and was beaten up by Arshpreet. Former India captain Amritpal Singh was present as well when the two broke into a late-night fight on the road in Bengaluru. The inquiry committee set up by the BFI confirmed that the three players violated the curfew hours and broke the protocol of the national camp by venturing outside without necessary permission.

arshpreet bhullar
Both Amjyot and Arshpreet were not included in the squad for the South Asian Games that were held in Nepal. In picture: Arshpreet Bhullar.

“It was a rest day and these players decided to party outside. They took a bike and left the premises without informing any official,” said Chander Mukhi Sharma, the BFI Secretary-General. “On their way back to the camp, their bike met with an accident, which resulted in injuries to them. The accident was seen by the local (Bengaluru) traffic police. They also had a minor scuffle at the accident spot as they started blaming each other.”

Also read: Basketball Federation determined to rein in ‘Player Indiscipline’

Amjyot and Arshpreet were not included in the squad for the South Asian Games that was held in Nepal, and it was expected that the duo would miss the 3x3 basketball Olympic qualifiers in March for the 2020 Tokyo Games. They were expected to be banned for almost a year, but with the BFI relaxing the quantum of punishment, the Indian contingent will have their senior-most players as the side gears up for the Olympics.

Assam to skip basketball Nationals

For the first time in the history of the nationals, both the men's and women's basketball teams from Assam will miss the tournament. The ongoing protests over the Citizens Amendment Act (CAA) and the curfew in the state meant that the BFI and the local organisers were unable to hold proper selection trails prior to the competition. However, the basketball teams from Manipur and Meghalaya states also caught in the midst of curfews, will turn out in the event.

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