The Indian contingent for the Asian Games, quite embarrassingly, have had to encounter several episodes of the athletes moving court after not being picked for the quadrennial event. The Indian Olympic Association has also taken plenty of flak for its supposed arbitrary chopping and changing. Here is a list of the court cases by athletes, sports federations and where things stand now.
Boat Racing
Boat Racing was initially denied entry by the IOA but they can now breathe a sigh of relief following Delhi High Court’s intervention.
Abhay Singh, one of the athletes in the boat racing squad, had filed a petition in the Delhi High Court against IOA’s decision to not send a team. The Olympic Association stated that the discipline did not meet the eligibility criteria.
Singh had sought High Court’s intervention after team recently returned home with a silver and bronze at an Asian level tournament. Two teams comprising 16 men and 16 women were supposed to take part in the competition. Prashant Kushwaha, secretary of the Indian Kayaking and Canoeing Association, recently stated that he was not sure how many names the court would clear.
The High Court directed the Indian Olympic Association to add the two teams to the contingent but the Asian Games organisers are not willing to accommodate any new entries at the eleventh hour.
Taekwondo
Six Taekwondo players moved the Delhi High Court challenging the Asian Games selection process as the Taekwondo Federation of India picked the squad without any trials. The court formed a one-man committee under Sports Secretary Rahul Bhatnagar to review the process.
The secretary, after a review, recommended three names (two men and one woman) for the Asian Games, which were they forwarded to the Organising Committee. But according to latest reports, it looks as though the entire Taekwondo contingent might be staying at home because the Asian Games Organising Committee isn’t willing to accept the late entries sent after the June 30 deadline. However, it must be noted bridge and handball entries, sent after the deadline were accepted by the OC.
The IOA had recommended five names before the deadline, but the three picked by Bhatnagar (Kashish Malik, Navjeet Mann and Akshay Kumar) which went after the deadline were not among them. It remains to be seen whether the Ministry clears the five players already sent.
The Taekwondo federation, which is not recognised by the Sports Ministry, has now blamed the ministry and the officials for not reacting in time and solving the logjam.
Yachting
Chennai-based Varsha Gautham moved the Delhi High Court against the selection of Ekta Yadav and her partner for the Asian Games in the 49er category stating that she had won a silver in the Asian Sailing Championship ahead of the selection duo.
The Delhi High Court had then asked the IOA to intervene and it was decided that a fresh trial would be held in Jakarta, the Asian Games venue, to finalise the team that would compete in the quradrennial event.
However, as things unfolded, Yatching Association of India could not hold the trials due to non-availability of the venue. The Court have now asked the IOA to take a final call about the selection.
Athletics
Middle distance runners Prachi Choudhary and Chhavi Sahrawat moved the Supreme Court against Athletics Federation of India and the sports ministry. They felt that AFI had snubbed them for the relay team in the Asian Games despite good recent performances in the selection meet.
Choudhary had won bronze in the 400-metre race in the National Athletics Championships while Sahrawat was fourth. Despite that, they were over-looked for the relay team and were replaced by Vijayakumari, Vismaya VK and Jisna Matthew. There was also room for MR Poovamma, Saritaben Gayakwad and Sonia Baishya, who finished sixth, seventh, and eighth.
The Court, however, have dismissed their petition on the grounds that interference at this late stage would disturb the team’s combination and affect their performance.
Badminton
Allegations of nepotism slipped in when chief national coach Pullela Gopichand’s daughter was picked in the Asian Games squad. Doubles specialist Aparna Balan and Vaishnavi Jakka Reddy moved the Kerala High Court and Delhi High Court respectively challenging the selection and seeking a reprieve. Balan’s view was they should have taken a third doubles pair instead of taking six singles players in the squad while Reddy questioned the basis of her omission. However, their petitions were dismissed by the courts.
Handball
The Handball Federation of India moved the Allahabad High Court after the Indian Olympic Association refused to clear the men’s team. Their contention was that the team had qualified for the Games as per the Asian Handball Federation’s rules and was named in the draw. The HFI later accused the IOA of being strong-armed to omit certain sports due to pressure from associations with clout.
The IOA finally decided to send the Handball team after its legal cell studied the order and suggested compliance of the order.
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