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No additional quota for paralympic shooter Sharma, SC sends matter back to HC
Appearing for Sharma, senior advocate Vikas Singh informed the court, “PCI has said that Tokyo refused to allot an additional quota for the petitioner as there is a quota for eight male athletes within the bubble”
The Supreme Court has allowed paralympic shooter Naresh Kumar Sharma to pursue his appeal before the Delhi high court after the International Paralympic Committee refused to allow Sharma’s name to be sent as an additional participant. The top court had on Monday directed the Paralympics Committee of India (PCI) to recommend Sharma’s name for the Tokyo Paralympics.
Appearing for Sharma, senior advocate Vikas Singh informed the court, “PCI has said that Tokyo refused to allot an additional quota for the petitioner as there is a quota for eight male athletes within the bubble.”
On Monday, after the SC directed Sharma to be added as an additional participant in the list being sent for R-7 event in Tokyo Paralympics, PCI issued a statement saying, “The selection criteria and process is totally at the discretion of International Paralympic Committee and PCI has no active role to play in it apart from conducting selection as per the guidelines.”
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Sharma, an Arjuna awardee, was not included for the Tokyo Paralympics beginning August 24. As the last date for sending the names was August 2, he approached the Supreme Court for an urgent intervention. According to Sharma, the PCI had recommended the name of just one shooter Deepak under the R-7 event when there is provision for sending three names for each event.
Singh requested the court that since Sharma’s name has been added to the list by the top court’s order, he would like to pursue his appeal pending before a division bench of the Delhi high court and seek an order if Deepak has to go or if Sharma can be sent as a reserve.
The top court disposed Sharma’s appeal in order to allow him to pursue his pending case before the High Court. The bench further requested the HC to take up the petition expeditiously.
