Less than 48 hours after mid-day reported that the Mumbai Schools Sports Association (MSSA) has asked young players to pay to Rs 3,000 each to represent the MSSA Academy in the Hockey India Men’s Sub-Junior and Junior Academy National Championships (Bhopal, October 4 onwards), the city’s hockey fraternity is furious.

Former India captain Viren Rasquinha took to social media to vent his ire. “Most kids, who play hockey, cannot afford to pay. MSSA should instead be helping them with sticks and shoes. Come on, MSSA. Get your act together. If you cannot get sponsors then resign. Hockey India should not give affiliation to entities that can’t run themselves. I don’t know any of these kids, but if any kid cannot participate because they cannot afford to pay, please do let me know. I will pay or raise money, but MSSA must be accountable for this mess. Terrible organisation of such an important institution of grassroot sport,” Rasquinha wrote to his 176,000 Twitter followers.