Chandigarh, Oct. 29 -- Controversies seem to be chasing the upcoming Haryana State Olympic Games, starting in less than a week's time, with two left out sports associations filing an application before the Punjab and Haryana high court seeking inclusion of 12 sporting disciplines in the games. The games are scheduled to be held from November 2 to 8. The Haryana Taekwondo Association has filed an application before the HC seeking directions to Haryana Olympic Association (HOA) to include taekwondo, dragon boat and 10 other sports disciplines including kho-kho, chess, gymnastics, modern pentathlon, ice skating in the tentative schedule for the 27th Haryana State Olympic Games to be held from November 2 to 8. This comes in the backdrop of a controversy brewing between Haryana sports department and HOA with the latter's president Jaswinder Meenu Beniwal unilaterally announcing that the sports department would issue sports gradation certificates to players on the basis of certificates received by sports persons participating in the HOA State Olympic Games. A sports gradation certificate makes players eligible for government jobs. The Haryana sports department, subsequently, wrote to the HOA president on October 19 that since the state games organised by HOA are not covered under the government's November 15, 2018 guidelines for sports gradation certificate, the department will not issue sports gradation certificates on the basis of State Olympic Games certificates. As per the 2018 guidelines, only state games organised by Haryana state associations recognised by the concerned National Federation affiliated to Indian Olympic Association or Haryana sports department are eligible for sports gradation certificate. Sports minister Gaurav Gautam had told HT on October 26 that the October 19 communication of the department to the HOA president is being withdrawn. On being asked whether the sports gradation policy will be modified to make room for HOA state games, the minister said the issue was being looked into. Meanwhile, in a civil miscellaneous application before the HC, the petitioners have sought directions that they and other affiliated associations be permitted to send their athletes and teams for participating in the state games since these associations are HOA members and entitled to participate in the games. The petitioners had earlier challenged the HOA's election process stating that names of the petitioner association were not included in the electoral list of HOA despite the fact that they are members of the association. The matter is pending before the HC. In their application, the petitioners said that a perusal of the tentative voter list of HOA showed there were as many as 38 affiliated associations of one particular sport each in HOA. "However, the HOA is organising State Olympic Games only for 27 sports disciplines, whereas the total number of affiliated units or members are 38. Therefore, the decision of not conducting the games for remaining disciplines is illegal, arbitrary and revengeful vis-a-vis not only the affected associations but sport persons," the petitioners contended. Haryana Dragon Boat Federation general secretary Mahender Kumar said that the application was scheduled for hearing on October 28 but will now come up for hearing on October 30 before the HC. The petitioners said that as per the HOA constitution, it is required to control and organise the Olympic movement in Haryana and encourage and promote each affiliated member unit. Thus, it is obligatory upon HOA to organise state-level Olympic Games for each affiliated unit sports discipline, the petitioner said. They further said that as per the tentative schedule of State Olympic Games, the number of athletes, support staff, technical officials, sports disciplines, days and venues can be increased or decreased or changed due to unavoidable circumstances in the interest of athletes and sports....