THE SCOURGE OF INELIGIBLE PLAYERS SHOULD BE GIVEN A RED CARD

Pelumi King

Intense efforts should be made to ensure that no team fields ineligible players during the Dean’s Cup, writes AFAS Press reporter.

The Dean’s Cup is about to start. Teams are preparing hard to get their hands on the prestigious trophy. At the SUB pitch many departments in the Faculty of Arts train tirelessly. The drive, motivation, and incredible sprit in them can be clearly seen. As a football pundit and an ardent follower of football, I am well aware of how tasking trainings are.
It will absolutely be a disaster and would be unfair if one team deceives the sports commissioner and his team by bringing an ineligible player into their squad in order to bolster their chances of winning the Dean’s Cup. It would be unfair to the departments who have trained hard to improve their team and their players. The sports commissioner and his team should do everything possible to prevent this. They should remove the scourge once and for all.
The sports commissioner should show no mercy in punishing those who field ineligible players. He should, either through a memo or a broadcast content, inform all departments of the eligibility status of their players. Potential offenders might play the ignorance card; that is, they might claim that they did not know of the status of eligibility.
According to the constitution, anybody that plays in the Dean’s Cup must be a financial member of the Faculty of Arts; they must pay their dues to the Association of the Faculty of Arts (AFAS) and must be a bonafide member of the department they are representing. Some departments will definitely try to circumvent this rule. They will try to use their connections and influence to make players in their team play without paying dues, or rent another player from another department to play for them. The sports commissioner should take note and should not be pressured by any department to participate in this corrupt practice.
All students of the faculty are equal. All departments are also equal. They should all be treated fairly and equally. If they (the departments) want all their players to participate in the competition, they should advise them to pay their dues before the time they are scheduled to play. They should also not try to play smart by borrowing players from other departments or faculties, or field players who are not financial members of the association. They will only have themselves to blame for the repercussions.
As the tournament begins, all should ensure that the spirit of sportsmanship is not neglected. Fair play does not rob a team of their chance of winning.