PANCHKULA: Even if you and your kids are residents of Haryana and have valid passports and Aadhaar cards issued from any part of the state, you still aren’t eligible to get enrolled for any sporting activity at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium , here. Bizarre isn't it?

The stadium authorities want you to produce your domicile certificate to complete the registration process.

"This is quite weird. I have spent my entire life in Panchkula, my son is born here. Our passports, aadhaar everything is from here. But when I brought my kid here to get him enrolled in athletics, the authorities said we are not domicile of Haryana and they didn't register my son's name," a parent told TOI on the condition of anonymity.

"The passports are made after proper police verification but for sports authorities it is not enough. In our country everything is being running on aadhaar cards but as per the officials here these are worthless. I went to the secretariat and had to stand for hours in the queue to get it done," he added.

Relating their woes, another parent whose daughter plays volleyball said: "At Tau Devi Lal you will get everything. Good infrastructure, good coaches but the administration is very bad. Initially, I thought they were joking, I mean how can you not accept the passport as the address proof but later I had realised they are adamant. This is the story of every parent here, you will have to stand in a long queue to get that domicile."

Suman Saini, district sports and youth affairs officer, specified that it is this rule that is being followed across Haryana.

"It is a rule. One should be a domicile of Haryana to get themselves registered in any sporting activity at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium. It is not that we are enforcing this rule. It is being followed across Haryana," said Suman.

