Coach lodges complaint after TT national champion Shamini refuses to play

Indian women team’s coach Bhawani Mukherjee on Tuesday accused reigning national champion K Shamini of shirking away from taking on top players and has lodged a complaint with the TTFI about her “lackadaisical attitude.” Mukherjee informed that Shamini today refused to play against England in the team championship semi-final as she was pitted against higher-ranked players. “She (Shamini) said that “Sir, I am not comfortable playing Joanna Parker (rank 135) nor she was willing to play Kelly Sibley (225). Her attitude totally surprised me,” Mukherjee told PTI on Tuesday. [caption id=“attachment_760663” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Mukherjee informed that Shamini today refused to play against England in the team championship semi-final. AFP[/caption] The 24-year-old girl, in the team meeting on Monday night, told Mukherjee that she was low on confidence for the next match leaving the national coach with no opportunity but to field Madhurika Patkar in her place. “If she can’t play against higher ranked opponents what is she doing in the team? I have told TTFI about her lackadaisical attitude. We don’t want such players to represent our national side,” a fuming Mukherjee stated after Indian eves lost 2-3 to England. Mukherjee said that he will now have to consider whether Shamini is fit to be included in the squad to Paris. “We will have to seriously think if she deserves to go to Paris. We are contemplating withdrawing her name,” he said. Earlier, in the quarterfinal league stage, Shamini who is ranked 275 in the world, had expressed her uneasiness in playing Singaporean paddlers. The Chennai girl was part of the four member group that went for a coaching camp in China. “On her return, she told us that she was fine and injury had been healed. That is why she was retained in the team,” Mukherjee added. However, Shamini said it was a team decision to bench her as she had struggled against Sibley on earlier occasions. The Englishwoman had comprehensively beaten her twice -Commonwealth Games and World Championships. “It was decided that Madhurika will play this time around as their players were comfortable against me. It was a conscious decision to bench me,” Shamini said in her defence. In these team championships here, Shamini played four matches against paddlers who were ranked well below her. PTI