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In a first-stage win for international table tennis star Manika Batra on a plea seeking quashing of rules mandating attendance at National Coaching Camps for selection in international events, the Delhi High Court today temporarily stayed the "Rules and Regulations for National Camp" framed by the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI).

The court also accepted the Government of India's proposal (GOI) to conduct an enquiry in the matter, stating that, "Since the Respondent No. 2 (GOI) has fairly volunteered to hold an enquiry into the serious allegations by the petitioner, this court is not inclined to order a separate enquiry at this stage."

Directing that the enquiry may be held at the earliest, the court granted the government 4 weeks' time to complete the same. Batra moved court not only challenging the said rules but also seeking to be included in the contingent for the Asian Table Tennis Championship.

Hearing the matter a Single Judge bench of Justice Rekha Palli said to the counsel for TTFI, Adv. Hrishikesh Baruah, who ventured to explain the constitution of a committee to resolve Batra's complaint, "If this is the way our national sports are going to function, I'm sorry to say the Government might as well take over." 

The court expressed its disappointment on TTFI's handling of the matter wherein it had constituted a committee right after court's intervention on Batra's plea and stated, "I'm not going to compromise merit on this, because of your politics."

 

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma appearing for the Centre, on instructions, submitted that merit had to be the sole criteria for selection of candidates and that attending or not attending a camp would not deter India from sending it's best athletes forward. 

"My stand is very clear. Merit was, merit is, merit shall and merit has to be the sole criteria," Sharma submitted.

However, while the ASG said that there is "nothing in the Sports Code which permits them to bar a candidate and to say that if you don't attend a camp, you'll be left out", Baruah maintained that the Federation was merely acting in compliance with the rules in the National Sports Code.

Baruah said, "We wanted her to come, we wanted her to participate but there are rules in place. There is a National Sports Code which we have to abide by. They (Union Government) are the ones telling us to comply."

The court also noted that Batra had made a representation and detailed complaint to TTFI regarding her position and apprehensions of conduct by the coach, however, was later shocked to receive a show cause notice. 

The bench took note of the fact that Batra had also reiterated the issue of match fixing national tactics in her representation after which she was "directed to attend a national camp scheduled to be held at a local school."

Thereby rejecting the stand of the federation of constituting its own committee to resolve Batra's complaint, the court said, "I am of the view that the operation of the impugned Rules is required to be stayed till the next date. Since the respondent no 2 (Union of India) is itself inclined to hold an independent enquiry into the serious allegations of the petitioner, there is no reason by TTFI should continue with the Committee."

In view thereof, the court added that an opportunity of hearing must also be given to the national coach for Table Tennis, Soumyadeep Roy, by the centre.

Batra moved court aggrieved that she had been left out of the contingent being sent for the 25th ITTF Asian Table Tennis Championships, 2021 to be held in Doha from September 28 till October 4.

The petition alleged that the national coach Soumyadeep Roy had pressurized Batra to "throw away" a match with a view to help one of his trainees at his private academy to qualify for the Olympics, 2020. She thus sought enquiry into the Federation's management and Roy's conduct."

Case Title: Manika Batra v. Table Tennis Federation of India & Ors.