U-15 ACC ELITE AGE-VERIFICATION PROGRAM RESULTS ISSUED
The results of the Age-Verification Program conducted in Nepal during
the ACC U-15 Elite Cup have been released. 140 radiology examinations
have been conducted in Nepal since the teams' arrival with all the
players from the ten participating teams.
The Asian Cricket Council Age-Verification Program has been in place
for all age-group competitions since May 2005. It was introduced to
ensure that all competitors would be meeting on a fair and equitable
basis on the criteria of actual age. Age-discrepancies among
competitors lead to performance advantages for older players and
injury-risks for the younger ones. The Asian Cricket Council's U-15
Tournaments, as with its U-17 and U-19 tournaments are held to be just
that - for those players who are the appropriate age.
As it is commonly understood that in Asia, many players and
Associations are unaware of their actual date of birth, the
Age-Verification program establishes a player's bone-age maturity
using the Assessment of Skeletal Maturity-TW3 method.
The cut-off date for players' birthdates is July 1,1992 for this
tournament. No player with a physiological or administrative age
earlier than this date is eligible to play in the 2007 ACC U-15
tournament.
All countries were asked to provide the appropriate medical data on
each of their players before the tournament started. They did not
comply. Following bone-age examinations of all players on arrival in
Kathmandu, a number from all the participating teams - Afghanistan,
Hong Kong,
Kuwait, Malaysia, Nepal, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and Thailand,
UAE - have been found to be over the age-limit criteria.
Each participating country consists of 14 squad-members. In the
instances where more than two players in each squad have been found to
be over-age, those teams have been disqualified from the competition.
Following the conclusion of the group stage on November 30, the only
two countries with less than three over-age players in their squads
are Kuwait and Singapore. In some instances, participating squads have
had seven, eight and nine over-age players.
With the tournament having passed the group-stages, that leaves only
Kuwait and Singapore eligible for further competition. It is they who
will contest the Final on Monday December 3rd at the Bhaktapur Army
Ground.
Syed Ashraful Huq the Chief Executive of the Asian Cricket Council
said, "Our Age-Verification protocols have been tested and proven to
work. We stand by the results found and take heart that the integrity
of our tournaments is assured. In the long-run cricket in Asia will
benefit. Results such as this should act as an eye-opener to all our
members. Our principles will always remain true to the secure
development of cricket."
ACC U-15 Elite Cup
Filed December 01 2007
