Boxing Off The Ring In A Bid To Govern Sport

PORTS elections in the country are turning out to be big controversies.

- Indraneel Das

More so in recent times, especially after the Table Tennis Federation of India (2021-22), the All India Football Federation, the Indian Olympic Association's court battles and subsequent elections. The final outcome was a landmark judgment in the case between Rahul Mehra vs Union of India and others: the Delhi High Court order of 16.08.2022 of Najmi Waziri and Manmohan. The National Sports Development Code of India 2011 was supposed to be read along with the 16.08.2022 HC order. Interestingly, Anurag Thakur was the sports minister at that time. Since then, almost all elections (where disputes arose) landed up in court over violation of the 13 points that were supposed to be followed by the IOA and its National Sports Federations (through various court orders). The sports ministry's affidavits and replies to the court made things more complicated. There were stays or results withheld by Delhi High Court on elections of federations like tennis, judo, volleyball and rowing over violations of sports code and notably those points mentioned in the 16.08.2022 order.