UNA — Serious allegations of intimidation, abusive language, and severe procedural irregularities have marred the North Zone Inter University (NZIU) Women’s Handball Championship 2025–26. Players from the Panjab University (PU) Women’s Handball Team have raised alarming concerns regarding the hostile environment during their quarter-final match against Lovely Professional University (LPU) on March 10.
The tournament, hosted at LJNH Government Girls College in Una, Himachal Pradesh, had reportedly run smoothly from March 8 until the morning of the controversial quarter-final clash.
Hostile Crowd and Match Delays According to the PU team, the atmosphere drastically changed when a massive crowd of 100–150 individuals—reportedly associated with the Morsingi Handball Academy in Himachal Pradesh—arrived to support the LPU team.
The players alleged that the crowd immediately began hooting, insulting the appointed referees, and abusing tournament officials, demanding a change in the referee lineup. This intense intimidation tactic caused a severe delay of nearly an hour and a half before the 9:30 AM match could finally commence.
During this chaotic delay, PU coach Manavpreet Singh Bawa was allegedly subjected to verbal abuse and threats by LPU team manager Mr. Chandan and LPU coach Ms. Snehlata in full view of officials and spectators. Despite the provocation, Coach Bawa reportedly maintained his composure, urging that the match be played in the true spirit of the sport.
Red Card and Formal Protests The hostile environment persisted once the match began, heavily impacting the PU players, who trailed 20–8 at halftime. The situation escalated further just before the start of the second half.
The PU contingent alleges that LPU coach Ms. Snehlata physically struck Coach Bawa on the shoulder in an aggressive manner, prompting match officials to immediately issue her a Red Card. However, Snehlata allegedly continued to issue instructions from the spectator area. When referee Narender Mann (Delhi) intervened, he was reportedly abused by the crowd, forcing him to temporarily leave the court.
In response to the chaos, the PU coach submitted two formal written complaints to the Jury of Appeal, paying the required protest fee to ensure the tournament schedule was not entirely derailed:
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Misconduct Complaint: Filed against LPU coach Ms. Snehlata and manager Mr. Chandan for their threatening and abusive behavior.
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Eligibility Protest: Filed against LPU player Jagriti Devi (Jersey No. 19), alleging she is a trainee at SAI STC Gandhinagar and may not meet the strict university eligibility requirements.
Referees Boycott and a Bizarre Conclusion The match was eventually completed only after repeated interventions from the organizers and the local district administration. The PU players returned to their quarters deeply distressed and in tears over the lack of safety and respect.
In the aftermath of the severe misconduct, several referees reportedly refused to officiate any further matches involving LPU, citing blatant violations of sporting ethics. Alarmingly, despite the pending protests before the Jury of Appeal, the tournament organizers allegedly declared the final winners using a lottery slip system, bypassing the remaining matches entirely.
“We accept defeat in sport, but we cannot accept threats, abuse, and disrespect towards players, referees, and organizers. The spirit of the game must always come first,” the PU players stated in their united appeal.
The Panjab University team is now urging the concerned sports authorities to conduct a thorough and fair inquiry into the incident to protect the dignity of the athletes and the integrity of university-level competitions.
