Kumar Rajiv Nayan
Ara : Cricket field turned into a battle field when two cricket teams from Bhojpur district reached the venue of Hayman Trophy tournament at Koelwar in Bhojpur district and clashed with each other on March 17, 2019, each claiming itself to be the authorised team. When the organisers allowed only one of them to take part at the competition, players of another team blocked Ara-Patna main road near Koelwar paralysing the movement of vehicles for about two hours on March 17.
The police officials tried their best to remove the blockade but the players refused to the lift the blockade. At this, police resorted to lathicharge to disperse them and restored movement of vehicles.
Bihar Cricket Association has organized Hayman Trophy inter-district cricket match at village Koelwar under Koelwar police station and a cricket match was to be played in between the teams of Bhojpur district Cricket Association and Buxar district Cricket Association on March 17. But, two teams under the banner of Bhojpur district Cricket Association reached the venue claiming themselves to be the authorised one.
The organizers continued the play and asked another team to talk to the officials of their association. At this players of another team resorted to agitation and blocked Ara-Patna main road burning tyres on road. They were raising slogans against Bihar Cricket Association. Manoj Pandey, Manager, Bhojpur Cricket team, said that he did not know as to how another team reached the venue as the association had not sent a second team.