Referees lodge complaint against ANZA football officials

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Referee Akshay Kahar and assistant referees Sunil Jacob and Harry Fernandes have submitted a report to the Mumbai Schools Sports Association claiming that team officials of Antonio D'Souza (ANZA) School (Byculla) entered the playing field and abusively threatened them following their 0-1 defeat to Cathedral & John Connon in a first round match of the boys' U-14 Div-II Utpal Sanghvi inter-schools knockout football tournament at Azad Maidan yesterday.

"One of the two officials, Sahil Modak and Sohail Ansari, listed on the players list [line-up] approached the referee Kahar and abused him. When the assistant referees requested the official to behave and not use abusive language, he started to abuse more and followed the referees to the changing room," says the referee's report, a copy of which is in possession with mid-day.

The ANZA camp was unhappy with some of the referee's decisions during the match. Jolly Dias, Sports Director, ANZA, however said that coach Modak was innocent. "I spoke to our coach Modak and he says that he did not abuse or threaten the referees. He said that it was a parent who did it," said Dias.

"I was talking to the boys in the dug-out after the match but many of our players' parents were unhappy with some of the referee's decisions and one of them may have gone and questioned the referees," Modak clarified. MSSA football secretary Sebastian Fernandes said that the referee's report would be put up at the MSSA Sub-Committee meeting and appropriate action will be taken.

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