TCA keeps up heat on HCA

Venue denied, holds presser on roadside

Metro India News | Hyderabad 

What was scheduled to be a press conference inside a Secunderabad hotel ended up being held on the roadside after the venue allegedly backed out at the last minute under pressure from influential quarters.

The Telangana Cricket Association (TCA) on Sunday used the unusual setting to intensify its attack on State Minister Vivek Venkataswamy and the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), while reiterating allegations of large-scale financial irregularities and questioning the legality of the ongoing TG20 League.

TCA general secretary Dharam Guruva Reddy alleged that management of the hotel in Secunderabad withdrew permission for the press conference following intimidation by authorities. Refusing to cancel the event, TCA office-bearers addressed reporters outside the hotel premises.

Claiming that the episode reflected an attempt to suppress dissenting voices, Guruva Reddy said efforts to block the press conference would not deter the association from pursuing its allegations against the HCA.

TCA questioned the TG20 League being conducted at the Uppal Stadium and challenged the HCA to place in the public domain BCCI approval for the tournament. Guruva Reddy alleged that the event lacked mandatory sanction and warned that participants could face disciplinary consequences if regulatory authorities later found violations.

He also accused the league of failing to provide adequate opportunities to district-level cricketers despite being promoted under the names of Telangana districts.

Fresh salvo in Telangana cricket row

The TCA submitted a fresh complaint to the State CID seeking an investigation into what it described as a Rs 600-crore financial scam in the HCA between 2004 and 2026. The association also sought a probe into the alleged attempt to transfer Rs 69 crore of HCA funds to Visaka, a company linked to the minister's family.

Calling it a blatant misuse of government machinery to stifle freedom of expression, Guruva Reddy alleged that attempts to block the press conference reflected a concerted effort to prevent public disclosure of sensitive information. He also described Minister Vivek's press conference at the Somajiguda Press Club a day earlier as a "defensive exercise" triggered by the growing scrutiny of the HCA's affairs.

Responding to the Minister's remarks questioning the existence and relevance of the TCA, Guruva Reddy said the comments demonstrated a lack of understanding of cricket administration. He claimed that the BCCI had directed the HCA to coordinate with the TCA in 2018 during Vivek's tenure as HCA president and had reiterated the same position in 2021.

The TCA further questioned the TG20 League being conducted at the Uppal Stadium and challenged the HCA to make public the BCCI approval, if any, for the tournament. Guruva Reddy alleged that the event lacked mandatory sanction and warned that participants could face disciplinary consequences if regulators subsequently found violations.

The association also alleged that the league had failed to provide opportunities to genuine district-level cricketers despite being promoted under the names of Telangana districts.