Rajvardhan was a part of the U-19 World-Cup winning team.
The Maharashtra Sports Ministry has accused India’s U19 star Rajvardhan Hangargekar of age fraud. Om Prakash Bakoria, the Commissioner of Sports and Youth Affairs, declared that Hangargekar had acted unethically in sports.
Bakoria added that Hangargekar’s behavior could harm India’s reputation and take drastic action against him. Hangargekar’s date of birth was allegedly changed manually from January 10th, 2001, to November 10th, 2002.
However, if Hangargekar is found guilty of interfering with his age, it could all be for naught. According to a report in the Saamana daily, Bakoria, an IAS officer, has filed a formal letter to the BCCI with proof against Hangargekar. “Mr. Rajvardhan Hangargekar’s actions go against the sport’s integrity and ethics.”
It prevents fair play and harms the country’s reputation. As a result, you are required to take strong measures per the law,” Bakoria noted in his letter to BCCI Secretary Jay Shah.
The Headmaster of the Terna Public School, according to Om Prakash Bakoria, manually modified Hangargekar’s date of birth from 10th January 2001 to 10th November 2002. Hangargekar had already turned 21 years old when he competed in the ICC Under 19 World Cup, according to Bakoria.
As a result, he was qualified for the U-19 World Cup. According to the report, Bakoria has received the support of Dharashiv Chief Executive Officer Rahul Gupta.
“It is important to obtain prior authorization from the Education Officer of the concerned district if the Head Master requests any revisions in the birth date.
However, the Head Master of Terna Public School, Osmanabad, did not grant such permission for Mr. Rajvardhan Hangargekar’s birth date to be changed from 10/01/2001 to 10/11/2002.
The birth date of this player is 10/01/2001, according to the report of Chief Executive Officer (lAS), Zilla Parishad, Osmanabad. Thus, he has completed 21 years of age at the time of competition,” Bakoria claimed.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), on the other hand, is unlikely to take action on this matter. Hangargekar first played for Maharashtra in 2016, according to a BCCI official, and testing showed that his age was the same as claimed on the certificate.
After being picked up by CSK, he posted a video in which he said, “I’ve always been a huge MS Dhoni fan, and my dad used to be a big CSK fan. He adored Dhoni, and he always expected me to join CSK. I’m excited to be a part of his franchise; therefore, I’m excited about it.”
Similar to Rajvardhan Hangargekar’s situation
A similar issue was dealt with harshly by the BCCI. Rasikh Salam Dar, a Kashmiri cricketer, earned a two-year suspension from the BCCI after being found guilty of age-fudging.
In the IPL 2019 auction, he was purchased by Mumbai Indians (MI) and made his debut. However, in June 2019, the BCCI discovered evidence that he had tampered with the birth certificate and sentenced him to a two-year suspension.
In the IPL 2022 mega auction, Rasikh was just purchased by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
Published By – Pawan Rajput
Edited By – Mahi Gupta
