Will conduct Retrial: Karate Federation

After allegations of bias and favouritism, the All-India Karate Do-Federation has assured the Bombay High Court that the retrial for final selections to the forthcoming Asian Games will be fair.

After allegations of bias and favouritism, the All-India Karate Do-Federation has assured the Bombay High Court that the retrial for final selections to the forthcoming Asian Games will be fair.

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Vacation judges, justice JH Bhatia and justice AP Bhangale disposed of a petition filed by Sandhya Shetty challenging selection of Simi Batala from Punjab. The federation told the court that it was holding another camp for final selection in Chennai on November 7.

It assured the court that it would record the bout and also not appoint the coach of Batala as referee, as was alleged.

Justice Bhatia said: “If you can get better young men and women to bring medals, it will be good.”

Shetty, a model and actor, filed the petition alleging that Batala’s selection in the women’s 67kg category was “arbitrary, biased and discriminatory”.

Shetty’s petition claimed that she was the “most eligible and meritorious” candidate and
she should have been selected to represent India in the Asian Games that begin on November 12, 2010.

Shetty’s petition states that despite her beating Batala on some occasions, she (Shetty) was not among the original four probables.

Her lawyer said the federation should tell them what the criteria for selection were.