Jamshedpur, Oct. 13: Tata Steel’s expertise in sports management has few takers. At least, when it comes to the National Games Organising Committee.

The steel major has apparently been given a raw deal when the movers and shakers of the 34th National Games formed the committee, which has already been notified. The jumbo panel has just two members from Tata Steel — managing director B. Muthuraman and former chief of company’s sports department Satish Pillai.

While Muthuraman has been made one of the vice-presidents in the committee, Pillai has been slotted in as joint organising secretary (for the events in Jamshedpur). Names of some committed sports organisers working with the company have been dumped.

The feeble presence of Tata Steel members in the committee has drawn criticism from officials of city-based sports associations.

They also seem surprised with the fact that the company’s role in the Games has been relegated only to conduct four low-profile events — archery, women’s football, boxing and weightlifting — earmarked for Jamshedpur.

“Tatas have been overlooked in the committee. We are disgusted at the way it was formed. Committed persons with proven track record in conducting sports activities have been given a cold shoulder,” said one of the functionaries of a city-based sports associations.

The officials said that the Tatas had doled out Rs 150 crore for the Games and naturally deserved more slots in the NGOC. “Tata Steel is one of the major supporters of sports. It has won accolades in conducting national and international events. But these factors have been overlooked,” they added.

Syed Matloob Hashmi, the organising secretary in the committee, put the ball in the court of Indian Olympic Association. “Go and ask IOA chief Suresh Kalmadi about the low presence of Tata Steel in the committee,” Hashmi said.

Hashmi said the state government also had a role in forming the panel. He claimed that “interest” of everybody was kept in mind while constituting the committee.