Banijan Hockey Federation enters conflict with Banijan Collegiate Sports Group over college hockey teams
Banijan Hockey Federation Chairman Muhoozi Kutombo(left) and Banijan Collegiate Sports Group Vice Chairman Yoweri Besigye(right) stand after a meeting
ISTRIA- The Greater Banijan Hockey League, the first of its kind in Banija with one of the most unique setups for a domestic league in all of sports, was seen as a rousing success last season by those who followed, and for Banijan hockey. Of course, it got caught up in the controversy within the Banijan political climate- with the former Katikkiro, Matthias Mutebi, repeatedly attacking the Banijan migrant communities for the Banijan brain drain. After a shocking quarterfinal run in a World Cup of Hockey for the Kingdom of Banija, the Olympic Committee of Banija created an independent hockey federation, called the Banijan Hockey Federation, and charged it with developing a league in order to 'develop Banijan talent, both home and abroad'.
There was that unique qualifier- develop Banijan talent abroad? No other Banijan sports governing body, from the Royal Banijan Soccer Association to the Federation of Banijan Gridiron FOotball, has that qualifier added. Why, of course, was that specifically listed in this body's constitution? It is not a quirk- it is, indeed, a feature of Banijan hockey. How did this happen? Let's go back to the formation of the league. Hockey, of course, is a very expensive sport, and when you combine that with the fact that Banija, unlike most nations, has a tropical climate that leads the country to have two seasons of dry and wet, rather than the traditional four seasons of summer, winter, autumn, and spring, growing hockey within the country was always going to be a challenge.
That said, that was not only true for hockey- that was true for any winter sport. Then, you see, let us enter the Banijan migrant community. Banija has vibrant migrant communities all across the multiverse- from within the Commonwealth, specifically South Detroit and the Royal Kingdom of Quebec, and throughout Atlantian Oceania. Nations as far as Cosumar and Eshan host vibrant Banijan migrant communities, and closer to home, Banijan migrant communities are everywhere. They thrive in the Equestrian States, in Siovanija & Teusland, in Qasden, in Geisenfred, just to mention a few. Banijans make homes all around their much economically stronger neighbors. In these countries, of course, hockey is strong among the locals, and therefore, the Banijan migrant communities play quite a bit of hockey.
The Banijan Hockey Federation leveraged a unique setup, for the Greater Banijan Hockey League. This was quite an ordeal- reaching agreements with various governing authorities, the International Hockey Federation, and all kinds of international law. But after a lot of dealmaking, and all kinds of frequent flyer miles for Muhoozi Kutombo, the Greater Banijan Hockey League was born. It was a stunning setup. 12 teams, of course, were to get into the league. The federation enlisted 6 different migrant communities, from across Atlantian Oceania, with the support of local hockey authorities, to send teams to this endeavor. He then enlisted the 6 Banijan college hockey teams, all in the Moravica region, all traditionally dominated by the major Quebecois immigrant presence in Moravica.
It was a bold endeavor, a stunning endeavor, one that allowed the Banijan Hockey Federation to send teams to the Hockey Champions League for the first time. To ensure, of course, that this league would develop Banijan talent, the Banijan Hockey Federation instituted a rule that each team's roster would have a minimum of half its players who are eligible to play for the Banijan national team, in accordance with BHF and IHF rules. College teams to the Hockey Champions League? Teams from seven different countries as members of the Banijan Hockey Federation? It would be a stunning feat to pull off, and it was quite successful. Teams from Eshan, 95X, Cosumar, Farfadillis, the Equestrian States, and Qasden, all sent teams to compete. These teams, of course, got all kinds of frequent flyer miles, flying all across the region. They populated the international Division. The other division was populated by Banija's 6 domestic college hocky teams- Loyola-Istria, Northern Moravica, Istria City College, University of Moravica, Wild Valley University, and the Islamic University of Busoga.
Then, of course, the course of other events have now caught up with the Kingdom of Banija. The Islamic University of Busoga, along with 4 other Islander schools, have been removed from the Banijan Collegiate Sports Group after the Busoga Islands got their independence as a result of the Banijan-Equestrian War. And, of course, the Banijan Collegiate Sports Group is now fighting back. FIve other schools have expressed interest in starting a hockey program, and the BCSG wants its member schools to leave the Greater Banijan Hockey League and focus on college hockey.
This is, of course, where it all gets messy. The BCSG now claims that, since they'll have 10 teams, they'll have enough to form their own hockey competition, and therefore, Banija's college hockey teams should no longer play in this professional league. The Banijan Hockey Federation maintains that they should remain members, as they were charter members of the league, and that is at the core of the league's setup. The league, of course, has not been shy about their own intentions to expand. Many associated with the league claim that there are agreements in place to expand to Northwest Kalactin, Siovanija & Teusland, and the Commonwealth of Baker Park, in the cities of Gold Coast, St.Jakob, and Mansfield, respectively. They are also rumored as being in serious discussions with migrant communities in the Royal Kingdom of Quebec and South Detroit. The league has refused to comment, saying that they are focused on 'the growth of the sport among Banijans, 'wherever they happen to reside'.
WHile the now five member schools of the Greater Banijan Hockey League are not commenting, this war of words is officially on. An unnamed Banijan Hockey Federation official said that the BCSG was being 'absolutely unreasonable', while the BCSG Vice Chairman Besigye has said that something needs to change. "We can't have our student-athletes playing in a professional hockey league. Whatever happened to amateurism?" He said. "We should be developing the sport of hockey within Banija's borders, and the BCSG, as a group, has a responsibility to our member institutions to develop sports among student-athletes, at home."
What will the end result be? We have no idea. The Banijan Hockey Federation, as it looks, is preparing for the possibility that the five remaining schools might all have to leave the Greater Banijan Hockey League, with talks apparently being held to replace them in the nations we have already mentioned- Northwest Kalactin, the Commonwealth of Baker Park, and Siovanija & Teusland. These disputes, of course, can get ugly- we all remember what happened when the BCSG threatened to block Loyola-Istria and Northern Moravica from competing in any collegiate sporting competition, so the two schools had to leave the NSCF for two seasons. The BCSG isn't afraid to play hardball, and they haven't ruled out that threat again- it has been used once before, of course. We'll simply have to wait and see what the men in suits can come up with, as the fate of the very foundation of Banijan domestic hockey hangs in the balance.