DIMAPUR, DECEMBER 7 (MExN): A clarification from Nagaland Adventure & Motor Sports Association (NAMSA), following the allegation of favouritism labeled on the motor sports body notwithstanding, an upset Eastern Nagaland Students’ Union Dimapur (ENSUD) on Wednesday contended the explanation holds no ground. Coming to the support of H. Lemei Phom – whom they said has been discriminated against – the ENSUD demanded that the NAMSA rectify the results of the Hornbill International Motor Rally in the all-females category, supported with concrete explanation.
H. Lemei Phom by virtue of being a member of the union, the ENSUD is obliged to take up her cause, stated executives of the apex eastern Nagaland students’ body in Dimapur today at a press conference. Phom, one of four racers in the women’s category (Below 1500cc) has contended that she was denied a place in the podium during the prize distribution ceremony, despite being adjudged to have finished second in the result declared following the conclusion of the ‘Time-Speed-Distance’ (or TSD) segment of the race. Phom was also present at the press conference.
Responding to the claim of NAMSA that Phom was denied a podium prize because her crew had one male co-passenger, ENSUD president P Honko Luklem questioned the stated ground of disqualification.
Luklem queried why Phom was allowed to compete, in the first place, by the race stewards if that was the case. According to the ‘Supplementary Regulations’, it is stated that all competing cars has to mandatorily undergo scrutiny of the race stewards before the race begins. The organizers should have scrutinized and duly verified the profiles of all the participants and the cars well before the race begun, he said. Phom further supplemented the ENSUD president’s query. “While registering as a competitor for the rally I asked to clarify whether male passengers were allowed. I was told that there is no gender bar with regard to co-passengers.” The male co-passenger on whose ground, she was denied a second-place finish was also provided with an identity card by the organizers, she added.
Further referring to the claim of NAMSA that the participant did not submit any protest (within the stipulated time of 30 minutes from the time of posting of provisional results) allotted to all competitors, the ENSUD president said that a ground for complaint did not arise since it was clearly posted in the provisional result that Phom was placed second. And she had duly attended the prize distribution ceremony only to learn, to her shock, her name was not mentioned, while her place went to the competitor placed third. “We really appreciate NAMSA organizing such an event,” the ENSUD president said, while adding that committing such blatant error in an event international in status is unexpected.
