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No role in selection of athletes for Asian Games, says sports ministry in reply filed in HC on boxers’ petition
World championships silver medallist Amit Panghal and two others had contended that selection should be by means of trials
The Centre on Monday told the Punjab and Haryana high court that it was prerogative of the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) to frame its selection criteria/policy for selection of boxers for participation in international events, including forthcoming Asian Games.
Centre’s response has come to a plea of three boxers against the BFI evaluation process for selecting the Hangzhou Asian Games squad. The petitioners included 2019 World Championships silver medallist Amit Panghal (51kg), 2022 Commonwealth Games silver medallist Sagar Ahlawat (+92kg) and 2021 national champion Rohit Mor (57kg). The seven-member men’s Asian Games squad was announced on July 1.
An affidavit filed by Mahendra Singh Tomar, director, Ministry of youth affairs and sports, has stated that names of the Indian boxers selected by the BFI have already been sent by the Indian Olympic Association to the Organising Committee of Games, last date for which was July 15, 2023. “... The ministry has no role in the selection process of athletes participating in the Asian Games,” Tomar has submitted.
The affidavit says in January 2011, the government had brought out one comprehensive code which is applicable to National Sports Federations (NSFs). The recognition of NSFs by the ministry is regulated in terms of the provisions of 2011 code which are binding on every national-level sports body. The government recognition makes the NSFs eligible for financial and others forms of support, said the affidavit.
“… as per sports code, NSFs are primarily responsible for judicious selection of national teams for participation in major international events based on merit and with the objective of enhancing national prestige and brining glory to the country. It has been provided in the sports code that selection of sportspersons for participation in major international events shall be prerogative of the NSFs,” the affidavit says adding that ministry has no direct role in the selection process. However, NSFs have to ensure that the selection process is fair and transparent and selection criteria are made known to all stakeholders, it added.
The three petitioners had finished second in their respective weight classes in the evaluation process, and thus did not make it to the final squad. Deepak Bhoria (663 points) pipped Panghal (619) while Mor (574) was a distant second to Sachin (651). In the super heavy division, Narender (578) made the cut ahead of Sagar Ahlawat (558), as per reports. As per BFI’s selection policy put in place since the start of the year, trials have been largely done away with. The boxers (men and women) are now assessed on various parameters in the national camp in Patiala over two to three weeks and selected.
The plea claimed that it is the performance of athletes/boxers which is the determining factor for positions/medals in competitions. Therefore, final selection trials in the form of competitions should be the determining factor for sending/recommending a team/athlete for any national or international competition. The boxers had demanded their inclusion in the squad and quashing of the criteria adopted by the BFI. The BFI is yet to respond to the pleas.
