KARACHI, Feb 16: Controversy erupted on the opening day of 52nd National Badminton Championship which commenced at the PSB Coaching Centre on Sunday when the chief referee awarded a walkover to Railways against Lahore’s New Khan after latter’s player Zeeshan didn’t turn up for the fifth and decisive set in the men’s team event quarter-finals.

“After waiting for the New Khan player to report for almost an hour, which is against the norms, we finally awarded walkover to Railways,” chief referee and a former international Anwar Saeed told Dawn on Monday.

According to Anwar, the decision provoked New Khan who lodged a protest against Railways Masood on the pretext that as he was not their employee he can’t play.

The Railways were asked to provide employment proof of the said player by Monday morning which they did, he added.

The irony is that two former national champions, Ali Yar Beg (ABL) and Ahsan Qamar (PIA) were representing the New Khan which is run by the Pakistan Badminton Federation (PBF) secretary, Amir Hayat Khan Rokhri.

The Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) rule says that a player can only represent the province of his domicile if the department he is employed in is not competing.

Meanwhile, visit by this correspondent on two successive days at the venue turned out to be an exercise in futility as far as results are concerned.