SWABI, Oct 27: Disputes and rivalries have marred the ongoing inter-school sports competitions in Swabi district, as the relevant sports officials failed to make timely decisions about results of the matches locked over minor technical issues.

A chat with physical education teachers (PETs) revealed that both the district and tehsil sport secretaries had been confronting difficulties to handle the ongoing games.

Sources said that certain PETs failed to follow the rules and fulfill criteria set for the games.

The first rivalry erupted between the government high school Hamlet and high school Kotha cricket teams when the students clashed and the teachers also indulged in the blame game. Also, the decision of zone football final played between high schools Tandkohi and Kalabat has been withheld though Tandkohi won the match by one goal.

However, the PET of Kalabat team has filed an application with secretary tournament along with complaint fee, alleging that Tandkohi team players neither had school cards nor they fulfilled other requirements of the tournament.

One of the members of the executive committee told this correspondent that the dispute would be resolved soon.

“We want that the students should not fight with each other. In sports rivalries once the fight breaks out the students knock down each other, and it becomes free-for-all affair. But we are lucky as no such case was reported,” said a principal of one government school.

Headmasters of various schools said that the authorities had asked the players and fans to show sportsmanship and avoid creating problems for the organisers.

It has been learnt that a row over a catch at boundary whether it was six or not could not be resolved in last 10 days, mainly due to failure of the PETs to inculcate sportsman spirit in players. Finally, the district sport secretary advised the tehsil sports secretary to settle the issue.

However, a former sports secretary said that raising slogans and yelling in support of respective teams by spectators was the beauty of local tournaments. The organisers should tolerate such situations and manage the teams of youngsters to show on field sportsman spirit, he said.