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Synopsis

While acknowledging the "incredible accomplishments" of Indian athletes in the Special Olympics World Games held in Berlin this year, the Delhi High Court lamented the neglect of players with intellectual disabilities and the efforts of organizations like Special Olympics Bharat (SOB).

The bench, led by Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma, made these remarks in an order released on Thursday.

"While the respect and appreciation accorded to Olympic medalists is abundant and deservedly so, the accomplishments of athletes with intellectual disabilities and the efforts of bodies like SOB that dedicatedly work towards their goals are sadly, often forgotten," the court observed.

In the Special Olympics World Games, the Indian contingent concluded their campaign with an impressive tally of 200 medals, comprising 77 gold, 71 silver, and 52 bronze medals, the court noted.

The bench, also including Justice Sanjeev Narula, emphasized that SOB should maintain strict compliance with the National Sports Development Code for all upcoming elections of office-bearers at the national and state level, as well as for the selection of sportspersons and national coaches for the Special Olympic World Games in 2025.

These observations were made in response to a public interest litigation filed in 2019 alleging irregularities in the functioning of SOB, responsible for selecting and training athletes with intellectual disabilities for the Special Olympics World Games.

The plea raised concerns about purported irregularities and favoritism in the selection of sportspersons and the appointment of office-bearers within SOB, including the Chairman, CEO, National Sports Director, and National Coach.

The court concluded the proceedings on the petition after determining that the 'Selection Guidelines for Special Olympics Bharat, 2018' were formulated in accordance with the requirements of the Sports Code.

It highlighted that numerous "positive developments" occurred during the court proceedings, and the issues raised by the petitioner were substantively resolved by SOB.

Case Title: Vijay Kumar Pandey and Anr. v. Union of India & Ors.