A district-level judo tournament at Guru Nanak Stadium descended into chaos on Tuesday after a dispute over the referee during a match allegedly turned into a physical fight, leaving a player injured. The incident led to a major commotion at the stadium, with police also being called to the spot.
Judo coach at Guru Nanak Stadium, Praween Thakur, said the player represented BVM School, Sector 32, and alleged that his elder brother had been present at the venue and started abusing the coach appointed by the Sports Authority of India. Inspector Amritpal Sharma, SHO at Division number 8 police station, stated that they received information about some scuffle between the participants, but they did not receive any written complaint. The incident reportedly took place during the finals involving player Gautam Sharma. The family objected to the change, claiming it could affect the fairness of the bout. They claimed the previous disagreement may have contributed to the confrontation during the Ludhiana event.
The referee was changed during the match and the person who entered the field was allegedly associated with the opposing player, according to Gautam’s family. Gautam’s family said they approached the police after the incident. “At one point, the coach lost his temper and slapped the elder brother, following which the fight escalated and other people also became involved,” he said. The police will take action according to the complaint.
The victim’s side has also alleged that the confrontation may have been linked to an earlier dispute at a tournament in Jalandhar involving coaching and training issues.
