The mismanagement of Bangalore Turf Club and the several dubious decisions taken in the recent past is sure to haunt the BTC in the coming days. The Public Accounts Committee Chairman H K Patil had alleged that BTC owes a substantial amount of money to the government by way of arrears of rent and other sundries and that effort would be made to recover the same. The activities of the club will be stopped from December 2, he had said.

Fortunately, such a thing has not happened but the ominous signs of the club coming under pressure to retain its premises is very much there. The Public Affairs Committee has moved the government to press for an early hearing in the Supreme Court where BTC has filed a Special Leave Petition against the eviction orders issued by the High Court in the last decade. Fortunately for the club, the government had not shown interest in asking for an early hearing all these years but now that there is a determined bid as indicated by the movement of files in the government corridors, the club has a battle on hand for its survival.

Harimohan Naidu who is acting like a de facto chairman after failing in his attempt at ensuring one more year`s term has reportedly ganged up the majority on his side and has literally side-lined the newly elected Chairman Vinod Sivappa. When queried about the PAC Chairman Patil`s statements, Naidu told the Press that the club has filed a Special Leave Petition and it is pending adjudication. He did not speak about how the club came to accrue huge arrears. He also failed to highlight the fact that the matter pending at the court is about the premises on which the court has ordered a status quo. The government can either grant or deny license at its wish and has the liberty to fix the land rent and other matters.

It is a decade since the SLP was admitted in the Supreme Court. Now that the government has woken up and taking the matter seriously to get the High Court order of eviction enforced, BTC is in for troubled times. For one it must spend exorbitant money to the lawyers. BTC is known to be a litigant taking many illegal actions and has spent an enormous amount of money which could have been saved with a better understanding of rules. The BTC Managing Committee members think that they have the powers to do anything and very soon, they will realise that things cannot go on like this forever. Their misrule is sure to come to haunt them. Unfortunately, the talent pool in BTC is pathetic with people who have no clue either about the administration or racing being elected to ruin racing. These people have no stake in racing.

Unfortunately, people like Harimohan Naidu have played havoc with the system with the sole aim of their existence is to enjoy the benefit that accrues by virtue of holding a position. Nothing else matters to them. There are other Stewards like Kiran Basappa who have a humungous ego and Uday Eswaran who has no knowledge of the sport except believing that anybody criticising the Stewards should be thrown out if he is not a member. Thanks to Kiran Basappa who hates any criticism of the track, they even took the illegal action of preventing Suraj Narredu from riding in races just because he said the racetrack was at its worst. Suraj was made to apologise for any number of times including being asked to put it on twitter in front of the officials. Suraj was made to say sorry a hundred times. This undemocratic action prevented the best jockey that Bangalore has produced from reaching the coveted landmark of completing 2000 winners by more than a week. Suraj is just three short of the huge landmark which has hitherto been achieved only by the late B Prakash. Ironically the same set of Stewards who acted on him would be felicitating the jockey on his stupendous achievement in a career spanning 17 years very shortly unless their ego makes them overlook the achievement. These worthies believe that they should treat professionals like dirt.

The Bangalore Turf Club mandarins believe in insulting the achievers especially because of their inferiority complex having not accomplished anything in life, their identity beginning and ending with their position at BTC. The Stewards of the club haven`t distinguished themselves more often working as Stewards of members rather than that of racing. I have dealt with various sports administrators of all sports in my career spanning 40 years, and I can vouch for the fact that the ones who have been at the helm at the BTC in the last few years are the worst.