The enduring charm of the Bangalore Derby

 BTC is in dire need of leadership amidst critical times

 

By Sharan Kumar

Once graced by the titans of yore, the Bangalore Turf Club now finds itself in the clutches of one Aravind Raghavan, the self-proclaimed master of chaos. Picture this: Raghavan, the maestro of mayhem, orchestrating strikes like a maestro conducting a symphony, culminating in Derby's cancellation – a feat never before seen in the annals of racing history.

It's baffling that someone like Raghavan, whose avowed mission was the club's demise, could ascend to the chairmanship. He denigrated club members until he joined the ranks and now, incredulously, holds a permanent invitation from the Turf Authorities of India. Moreover, he has no qualms about fostering illegal betting, and courting sponsorship from illicit platforms, thus jeopardizing legal betting operations.

The Bangalore Winter Season draws to a close, marred by poor stiping and rank bad decisions. Instead of upholding the integrity of the races, they have succumbed to the influence of certain syndicates, allowing them to dictate the proceedings. These once-respected stipendiary stewards became mere puppets, relinquishing their authority to individuals with scant knowledge of the sport. Biases tainted their judgments, evident in their dubious decisions regarding objections and racing infringements, tarnishing the image of the sport.

The Bangalore Turf Club languishes in a state of utter desolation, with progress nowhere in sight. Trainers flee its dilapidated grounds, retiring into obscurity, while the once vibrant institution now lies barren, devoid of fresh talent. For an entire decade, the club has turned a blind eye to the cries for new trainers' licenses and apprentice jockeys, leaving its halls echoing with the hollow sound of neglect. The few officials who remain are but shadows of their former selves, a part-time handicapper and a lone Stipendiary Steward struggling to keep the semblance of order amidst the chaos.

The once illustrious Bangalore Amateur Riders Institute, famed for producing giants of the turf like Y S Srinath and Suraj Narredu, now stands as a relic of the past, its halls silent and its legacy forgotten. Instead of nurturing the next generation of champions, the club flounders in a sea of mediocrity, clinging to a threadbare existence upheld only by the sheer will of its beleaguered staff.

And what of the promises of change? They ring hollow amidst the cacophony of excuses and bureaucratic inertia. The Supreme Court looms large over the club like a spectre, casting a long shadow over its day-to-day affairs. But why should the fate of the club be held hostage to the case that has been pending for over a decade? Is it not conducting its Derby, or filling up vacancies arising due to the death of existing members?

In the heart of Bangalore, where dreams were once made and fortunes won, now lies a shattered institution, its future uncertain and its spirit broken. And until the grip of politics is broken, until the club is freed from the shackles of its own making, it will remain nothing more than a tragic reminder of what could have been.

The truth is plain to see: the Bangalore Turf Club is mired in a cesspool of politics and self-interest, where progress is sacrificed at the altar of personal ambition. Two opposing factions, locked in a perpetual struggle for dominance, ensure that nothing ever changes. And in the midst of it all stands the Chairman, the very embodiment of disruption, presiding over the club's descent into irrelevance with a callous disregard for its once-glorious past.

The Bangalore Turf Club's oversight in scrutinizing the ownership profiles of racehorses is a glaring lapse in due diligence. Even more concerning is the laxity extended to bookmakers, with licenses granted to certain individuals whose income tax declarations hardly align with the financial requirements of their operations. This laissez-faire approach jeopardizes the integrity of the sport, opening the door to potential exploitation and malpractice. It's high time for the club to tighten its regulatory reins and ensure that everyone meets stringent standards of transparency and accountability. Anything less undermines the credibility and fairness of the entire racing enterprise.

Amidst a myriad of challenges, the club finds itself entangled in legal battles, haemorrhaging funds in futile litigations. The Stewards' blatant disregard for principles of natural justice and fair play has led to a litany of court cases, with the club emerging victorious in none. Furthermore, the looming shadow of a Supreme Court decision threatens the very existence of the club, casting a pall of uncertainty over its future.

Unlike their counterparts at the Royal Western India Turf Club, who embrace media coverage as a boon to the sport, the Bangalore Turf Club shuns public relations efforts, perpetually mired in negative publicity. Even the belated attempt to honour the media with a race named the Press Reporters Stakes lacked sincerity, devoid of the dignity befitting such an occasion. The club did not have the courtesy to invite a member of the community of race reporters to present the trophy. The club appeared to be saving money by not buying a cup!

At the helm of this sinking ship stands Aravind Raghavan, a chairman devoid of grace, whose brash demeanour and lack of decorum epitomize the club's descent into chaos. Under his leadership, the club's relationships with other racing clubs have soured, with disputes over outstanding debts escalating to alarming levels. The club's mounting debts to the government only exacerbate its woes, as legal battles loom large on the horizon.

The Royal Western India Turf Club's recent amicable settlement with the government starkly contrasts the Bangalore Turf Club's belligerent stance. While cooperation with governmental entities is imperative for survival, the club's leadership, marked by hostility and obstinacy, remains a stumbling block to progress. The sorry state of affairs, epitomized by a bookmaker's intervention to navigate licensing issues with the government, underscores the depths of dysfunction plaguing the club. The club badly needs a leader who can steer the ship amidst the crucial times.